Otherupdated 18m ago2 min read
MapBus Driver Says Brakes Failed After Bus Crashes Into 32 Vehicles Near Seongnam
“The incident left nine people seriously hurt and 48 others with minor injuries.”
“The collision left at least six people seriously injured, though none of the injuries were reported to be life-threatening.”
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Bus crashes into over 30 vehicles at Seongnam traffic stop, 57 injured. Driver reported brakes had failed prior to impact.
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Seongnam pileup injures dozens
A commuter bus struck 32 vehicles stopped at a traffic light during the morning rush hour in Seongnam, South Korea, injuring dozens of people, fire officials said. The fire department of Gyeonggi Province said 57 people were being treated for injuries, including nine seriously hurt, and none were in life-threatening condition. Police said the bus collided with 32 vehicles before slamming into a median strip, and photos from the scene showed the bus perched on a median strip with a shattered windshield and other damaged cars.
The bus driver, believed to be in his 60s, told investigators the brakes on his bus had failed, and the driver tested negative in a breathalyzer test. Emergency responders deployed dozens of fire personnel and vehicles and set up an emergency medical station at the scene to treat the injured.
Driver account and investigation
Park Chang-gon, an official from Seongnam’s Bundang district police station, said police were questioning the bus driver and that the driver told investigators the brakes had failed. The Korea Times said the bus driver reportedly told police that the brakes did not work, while investigators looked into the exact cause of the crash. Police said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol, and investigators planned to check whether he had taken drugs.
SBS reported that police planned to investigate the cause of the crash by examining black box recordings from the damaged vehicle and CCTV footage. KBS reported that the bus driver was also injured and taken to hospital after being freed from the vehicle.
Injuries, response, and next steps
The fire department of Gyeonggi Province said 57 people were injured, including nine seriously hurt, and it said none of the injuries were in life-threatening condition. Yonhap News Agency reported that 48 people were injured and six of them had serious injuries, according to DW. The Korea Herald reported that fire authorities deployed 88 personnel and 33 vehicles to respond to the crash.
The Independent said most of the damaged vehicles had been cleared from the scene by 9.30am local time. Officials launched an investigation into the cause of the collision, and police continued questioning the bus driver after the crash in Seongnam.