Boozed-up captain rams Russian cargo ship into South Korea bridge

SEOUL, Mar 1, 2019, DPA. A Russian cargo ship piloted by an intoxicated captain rammed Gwangan Bridge in the South Korean port city of Busan on Thursday afternoon (Feb 28), reported The Straits Times.

A video released by the news agency Yonhap shows the upper superstructures of a container ship colliding with the bridge.

There were no injuries in the accident, Yonhap reported, but the ship’s captain allegedly tried to flee the scene.

The South Korean Coastguard recorded a blood alcohol value of 0.86 in the captain, according to Yonhap. With a blood alcohol level over 0.3 it is prohibited under South Korean law to pilot a ship.

The ship is said to be a 6,000-ton freighter, which was on the way to Vladivostok, Russia.

Gwangan Bridge spans a distance of 7.4 kilometres and is located in South Korea’s second largest city. At night it is a popular tourist attraction due to its spectacular lighting.