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Three injured in drilling rig collapse in Daegu

Published: 04 Mar. 2026, 13:06 Updated: 04 Mar. 2026, 16:28

A drilling rig lies overturned at an underground passage construction site near the Manchon Intersection in Suseong District, Daegu, on March 4 after an accident that injured three people, including a taxi driver and a passenger. [NEWS1]

DAEGU — A 21-meter (69-feet) drilling rig toppled onto a busy eight-lane road at a construction site in Daegu on Wednesday morning, injuring three people and disrupting traffic, authorities said.

The accident occurred at around 9:07 a.m. at a construction site for an underground pedestrian passage connected to Manchon Station on Daegu Metro Line 2 in Suseong District, according to the Daegu Fire Department.

The rig, used for drilling and ground investigation work, fell toward the roadway and covered five of the eight lanes at the Manchon Intersection.

Three people — a taxi driver, a passenger and the drilling rig operator — suffered injuries while trying to avoid the falling equipment. The taxi driver and the rig operator were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, including back pain, while the passenger returned home.

The rig narrowly avoided directly striking the taxi, brushing past the vehicle by a small margin. A crosswalk sits next to the site.

“I was on my way to buy coffee when I suddenly heard a loud ‘thud’ and turned around in surprise," a Suseong District resident who witnessed the accident told the JoongAng Ilbo.

"There’s a crosswalk nearby, so it really could have been a major disaster," she said.

Police control traffic at the scene where a drilling rig fell and made contact with a passing taxi at Manchon Intersection in Suseong District, Daegu, on March 4, injuring three people including the driver. [NEWS1]

The accident caused traffic congestion around Manchon Intersection as the fallen rig blocked multiple lanes. Fire authorities dispatched 18 vehicles and 51 personnel to respond to the scene.

“Our top priority right now is handling the situation at the site," a spokesperson for the fire department said.

Construction at the site involves building an underground connecting passage and entrances to Manchon Station. The project began in April 2022 and was initially scheduled for completion in July 2024.

Workers later discovered a large bedrock layer underground, pushing the completion date back to November 2027.

Authorities installed the drilling rig in January and began full-scale drilling work in February.

Police and labor authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and whether the construction site followed proper safety measures.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAEK KYUNG-SEO [[email protected]]