Collapse of Boritdolgyo Bridge in Pohang, Gyeongbuk... All 17 Stranded Anglers at Observatory Rescued

Pedestrian Sea Bridge Sunken in 'W' Shape
"Exact Cause Under Investigation"
Pedestrian Turns Back After Witnessing Bridge Collapse

Seventeen people, including anglers and tourists, were temporarily stranded when Boritdolgyo Bridge in Pohang collapsed.

The Moment Boritdolgyo Collapses. Yonhap News.

At around 5:00 p.m. on July 28 in Janggil-ri, Guryongpo-eup, Nam-gu, Pohang, approximately 50 meters of Boritdolgyo Bridge collapsed into the sea. Seventeen people who were nearby became stranded, but rescue teams arrived on the scene within 12 minutes of the report and, working together with a private fishing boat, successfully rescued everyone.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage capturing the incident shows the central part of the bridge sinking first, followed by the sequential collapse of the deck on both sides. The video clearly depicts a pedestrian quickly turning back in panic as the bridge collapses before their eyes, just seconds before being caught in the incident. No one was crossing the bridge at the moment of the collapse, so there were no mass casualties.

Approximately 70 personnel—including officials from the city government, fire department, police, and maritime police—have been deployed to the scene to secure the collapsed section and carry out investigation and safety measures.

The collapsed Boritdolgyo Bridge is a pedestrian sea bridge completed in 2013, measuring 10 meters in height and 225 meters in total length, with a 170-meter marine section. Normally, local residents and tourists were permitted to use the bridge. However, Pohang City reported that access to facilities on the rocks at the end of the bridge had already been restricted for safety inspections.

At the time of the incident, there were 17 anglers on the rocks, and they became stranded after the bridge was severed. Before the maritime police arrived, firefighters on the scene, collaborating with a private fishing boat, successfully rescued them one by one. By about 2:01 p.m., all 17 people had been rescued, and there were no injuries.

It was confirmed that Boritdolgyo Bridge recently received a ‘C’ rating in a safety inspection and underwent repair and reinforcement work last year. Pohang City is currently investigating the exact cause of the collapse, including possibilities such as the structure being constantly exposed to waves due to the coastal environment—causing fatigue accumulation—and the effects of the recent prolonged heatwave. The police are also conducting their own investigation into the circumstances and cause of the incident.

The fire authorities conducted an underwater search near the collapse site using diving equipment. The initial search found no additional casualties. The maritime police deployed divers to repeatedly search the underwater area around the collapsed section to check for any additional victims.

In response to the accident, Pohang City decided to immediately conduct an emergency safety inspection of similar maritime sightseeing facilities and pedestrian bridges in the region, such as Igari Anchor Observatory, and to restrict access until inspections are complete.

A city official said, “We will conduct a thorough re-examination of the safety of similar facilities to ensure that such accidents do not occur again.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.