On a Wednesday morning in Seongnam, a city of nearly nine hundred thousand just south of Seoul, the ordinary crush of rush hour was broken when a bus ran through a long line of cars, a truck and other buses. Dozens of people were hurt, and the emergency responders who arrived found more damage than a single moment should be able to make. The driver says his brakes gave out, a claim now waiting for the slower work of investigators to confirm or set aside. What remains is a reminder of how quickly a crowded city's shared routines can turn into a scene of injury and inquiry.
Runaway Bus Strikes 30-Plus Vehicles in Seongnam, South Korea; 57 Hurt, Brake Failure Under Investigation
Dozens were injured, with nine seriously hurt according to the Gyeonggi fire department; none are in life-threatening condition.
Thirty-plus vehicles, one rush hour, and a driver who says the brakes failed
On a Wednesday morning in Seongnam, a city of nearly nine hundred thousand just south of Seoul, the ordinary crush of rush hour was broken when a bus ran through a long line of cars, a truck and other buses. Dozens of people were hurt, and the emergency responders who arrived found more damage than a single moment should be able to make. The driver says his brakes gave out, a claim now waiting for the slower work of investigators to confirm or set aside. What remains is a reminder of how quickly a crowded city's shared routines can turn into a scene of injury and inquiry.
On Wednesday morning, during the thick of rush hour in Seongnam, a city of nearly 900,000 people just south of Seoul, a bus struck more than thirty vehicles. Dozens of passenger cars, a truck and four other buses were caught in its path, and a long stretch of road was left strewn with damage and injured people.
The Gyeonggi Province fire department reported 57 people injured, nine of them seriously, though none are in life-threatening condition. Yonhap News Agency had earlier counted 48 injured, six seriously. The difference suggests the tally was still being updated as the morning unfolded.
The driver, believed to be in his sixties, has told investigators that his brakes failed. He tested negative for alcohol and was taken to hospital after the crash. His account is so far only his own, and an investigation into the cause has been opened.
Fire personnel and vehicles were deployed in numbers, and an emergency medical station was set up nearby so the injured could be treated quickly. Because the crash came at the busiest time of day, it caught so many vehicles in a single event. What is clear is the scale of the collision and the open inquiry; why the brakes failed and how the bus traveled so far through traffic remain for investigators to determine.
On Wednesday morning, in the thick of rush hour traffic in Seongnam, a city of nearly 900,000 people just south of Seoul, a bus struck more than 30 vehicles. South Korean authorities said it hit dozens of passenger cars, a truck and four other buses, leaving a long stretch of damaged vehicles and a large number of people hurt.
The fire department of Gyeonggi Province, where Seongnam sits, put the toll at 57 injured, nine of them seriously. According to the department, none of the injured are in life-threatening condition. That figure is higher than the one Yonhap News Agency reported earlier, which counted 48 injured, six with serious injuries. The gap points to a count that was still being updated as the morning went on.
The driver has told investigators that the brakes on his bus failed, according to Yonhap. He is believed to be in his 60s. He took a breathalyzer test and tested negative for alcohol. Local media reported that he was also taken to the hospital after the crash.
An investigation into the cause of the collision has been launched. The driver's account of brake failure is so far his own statement to investigators, and the reporting available does not say whether any inspection of the bus has confirmed or contradicted it.
The response at the scene was substantial. Dozens of fire personnel and vehicles were deployed, and an emergency medical station was set up near the crash so the injured could be treated and sorted quickly. The crash happened when roads were at their busiest, which helps explain how many vehicles, including other buses, were caught up in a single event.
What is established is limited but clear: the number of vehicles involved, the injury counts from two sources, the negative alcohol test, and the open investigation. What is not yet established is why the brakes, if they did fail, failed, and how the bus came to travel through so many vehicles. Those answers will come from the investigation, and the injury figures may be revised again as hospitals finish their assessments.
Citations marquantes
The driver told investigators the brakes on his bus had failed.— Yonhap News Agency report
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