South Korean authorities have launched an investigation after part of an old bridge collapsed in the capital Seoul, killing three people and disrupting railway traffic near the city’s main station.

The incident occurred in the Seodaemun district during a safety inspection after structural subsidence was detected in the bridge, before concrete slabs and steel beams collapsed onto workers below.

Debris also fell onto a nearby railway track, prompting Korea Rail to suspend part of its services while rescue teams continue securing the area and investigating the causes of the collapse.