Time 07:40am KST Non-fatal injuries 17 Location Seoul | Deaths 32 Bridge type Cantilever bridge Year 21 October 1994 | |
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Date October 21, 1994 (1994-10-21) Address Oksu-dong, Seoul, South Korea Similar Dongho Bridge, Yeongdong Bridge, Cheongdam Bridge, Hannam Bridge, Olympic Bridge | ||
Seongsu bridge collapse
The Seongsu Bridge is a bridge over the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. The bridge links the Seongdong and Gangnam districts. The cantilever bridge was completed in 1979 and its total length is 1160 m. It became infamous when it collapsed on October 21, 1994.
The bridge collapsed early in the morning when one of its concrete slabs fell due to a failure of the suspension structure. This structural failure was caused by improper welding of the steel trusses of the suspension structure beneath the concrete slab roadway.
32 people died and 17 were injured in the accident. Afterwards, the bridge was supposed to be repaired, but because of a weakness in the structure, it had to be completely redesigned and rebuilt. The new design was finished on 15 August 1997, and is similar to the original design.