A city bus crashed into 32 vehicles in the South Korean city of Seongnam, south of Seoul. Nine people were seriously injured, while another 48 suffered minor injuries, the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters said. There were no reports that any of those injured was in a life-threatening condition.
The crash occurred at around 7:34 a.m. local time during the morning rush hour in the Yatap-dong area of the Bundang district. According to fire authorities, the bus hit four other buses, a cargo truck and 27 passenger cars waiting at a traffic light before crashing into a median barrier. The collisions spread over approximately 100-150 meters.
The bus driver was also among those injured and was taken to hospital. His alcohol test was negative. He told police: “The brakes did not work”. Investigators are examining this account and will analyze footage from surveillance cameras and the vehicle’s onboard camera.
A total of 88 rescuers and 33 specialized vehicles were dispatched to the scene. A temporary medical post was set up, while traffic in both directions was halted because of the rescue operation and the removal of the damaged vehicles.
Fire authorities are continuing to determine the final number of injured people.
Sources: apnews.com, marketscreener.com, yna.co.kr