The accident took place at 9:49am on 25 February in Anseong, about 70km (43.5 miles) south of the capital Seoul, according to fire authorities.

Five 50m sections of the bridge deck appear to have collapsed one after another, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Ko Kyung-man, an Anseong fire official, said that four people had died, including two Chinese nationals, and six were injured, including five who were in a critical condition. The five also included one Chinese citizen.

鈥淭hey were working to install a deck on the bridge,鈥� Ko told a televised briefing. 鈥淎ll of the 10 were up on the deck...and fell from both sides when it collapsed.鈥�

Rescue workers at the site were seen examining twisted metal struts and fractured concrete slabs below the columns of the highway bridge.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok called to mobilise all available personnel and resources to rescue any missing people and to ensure safety measures to prevent further damage, his office said.

Earlier in February, six people died in a fire in a hotel construction site in the port city of Busan, with around 100 people evacuated.

Data released in March by South Korea鈥檚 labour ministry showed that 598 industrial workers died in 2023, with the construction sector accounting for nearly half, or 303, though the total death toll was down from 644 in 2022.