Overpass collapse in Seoul disrupts over 120 KTX trains

SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - More than 120 KTX bullet trains have been suspended or had their routes adjusted after a collapse at a demolition site in Seosomun, western Seoul, according to the state-run rail operator.

The disruptions, affecting multiple lines from the first trains on Wednesday, came after an overpass under demolition collapsed the previous day, killing three workers and injuring three others.

KORAIL said a power outage on overhead railway lines between Seoul Station and Sinchon Station halted some KTX services and suspended commuter train operations, as restoration work could take considerable time.

Among the dead were two men in their 60s who worked as site supervisors and a man in his 50s who was an outside engineering expert.

They are believed to have died after falling or being struck by collapsing debris.

The three injured men suffered cuts and injuries to the head, waist and ribs. They included Seoul city officials and a district official who was reportedly passing beneath the overpass and was not involved in the construction work.
  The dismantling of the old overpass had been underway since last summer as part of the city's broader effort to remove aging infrastructure, and the structure was scheduled to be fully demolished by early next month.

Workers were reportedly conducting a safety inspection after discovering cracks in the overpass early in the morning, several hours before it collapsed at around 2:30 p.m.

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