On Thursday, February 28, a Russian cargo ship struck a highway bridge in Busan, causing serious damage to the freighter and to the structure. Korea's Coast Guard investigators are currently examining whether the master's alleged intoxication might have been a contributing factor.
Busan's police revealed that the 9,700DWT Seagrand had collided with a moored cruise ship in the harbor and then struck the lower deck of Gwangan Bridge at around 16:20 hours local time. The vessel allegedly backed down and departed the accident scene. The steel support structure for the bridge span suffered severe damage, including a 6-foot-long hole in one of the giant steel girders.
Following the collision, Korea Coast Guard personnel boarded Seagrand and administered a blood-alcohol content test to the ship's crew. According to KCG, the captain had a BAC of around 0.09%, roughly 3 times the legal limit for a watchstander.