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🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Overpass Collapse Repairs Aim for May 29 Completion, Train Services to Resume

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport aims to complete repairs on the Seosomun overpass collapse site by May 29.
  • The collapse on May 26 damaged overhead power lines, halting train services between Seoul Station and Haengsin/Susek stations.
  • Approximately 80% of normal train operations are currently running, with full restoration expected by the morning of May 30 if repairs are completed on schedule.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) is working to restore railway facilities damaged by the collapse of the Seosomun overpass, with the goal of completing repairs as early as May 29. The incident, which occurred during demolition work on May 26, caused a partial power outage in the overhead lines between Seoul Station and Sinchon Station.

We are striving to complete the repairs within this week, if possible. If all work is finished by Friday night, operations can resume with the first train on Saturday morning.

— Kim Tae-byeongDirector of Railway Bureau at MOLIT, providing a timeline for restoration efforts.

This disruption has led to the suspension of train services between Seoul Station and Haengsin/Susek stations, with some trains also canceled. Currently, train operations are running at about 80% of their normal capacity. If the repair work concludes by Friday evening, full service is expected to resume by the first train on Saturday morning.

Restoration efforts involve several stages: confirming site safety, assessing the structural integrity of the remaining infrastructure, and repairing the overhead power lines. MOLIT officials stressed that the work is proceeding with a priority on ensuring site safety due to concerns about further collapse of the overpass structure. The final decision on resuming normal operations will be made after a comprehensive review of site safety and railway facility conditions, in consultation with relevant authorities.

Given the concerns about further collapse of the overpass structure, we are proceeding with restoration work on the premise of ensuring site safety.

— Kim Tae-byeongDirector of Railway Bureau at MOLIT, emphasizing safety during the repair process.

To investigate the cause of the accident and develop preventative measures, MOLIT has established an accident investigation committee. Minister Kim Hyun-ming urged close cooperation among relevant agencies to minimize disruptions for citizens and prevent secondary accidents, such as further collapses, during the recovery process. He specifically requested Seoul City and Korail to mobilize all available resources to mitigate the inconvenience caused by the train service disruptions.

We will strengthen on-site safety measures during the accident response process to prevent secondary accidents such as further collapses, and closely cooperate with relevant agencies to minimize citizen inconvenience.

— Kim Hyun-mingMOLIT Minister urging safety and cooperation during the recovery efforts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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