Two individuals have lost their lives, and a minimum of 18 others have sustained injuries following a truck collision with pedestrians at an open-air market. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday, November 13, in Bucheon city, part of the Seoul metropolitan area in South Korea, as confirmed by fire and police authorities.
Law enforcement is interrogating the unidentified truck driver in his sixties, who was found not to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to Son Byeong-sam, a police official in Bucheon. An eyewitness mentioned that the truck seemed to be traveling at a high speed.
A visual from the aftermath of the accident exhibits the vehicle positioned in front of market stalls while two men examine the scene. Debris is strewn about, and the truck’s windshield is shattered.
A fire official reported that the truck appeared to back up for 28 meters before accelerating down a passageway. Subsequently, it plowed 150 meters into the market before halting.
Yonhap News Agency stated that two individuals succumbed to cardiac arrest, while 18 others sustained injuries. The driver was rescued after being trapped inside the vehicle. The incident unfolded around 10:55 am local time on Thursday.
The driver asserted that the truck’s brakes had malfunctioned. Police confirmed that he was not under the influence of alcohol. A witness recounted the event as “extremely terrifying” when the truck crashed through the market.
Bucheon is situated approximately 16 miles west of Seoul, South Korea’s capital. Last year, between January and March, about 3.4 million international tourists visited the country, as per the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
A merchant named Jin, 43, shared with The Chosun Daily, “I was having a meal inside the store when I heard screams outside, followed by a loud noise as a car passed by and stopped with a crash.”
Another market worker described the sound of the truck crashing as so thunderous that it “felt like a building was collapsing.”
Authorities are questioning the unidentified truck driver in his sixties, who was found to be sober, as stated by Son Byeong-sam, a police official in Bucheon near Seoul.
Park Geum-cheon, an official at Bucheon’s fire station, mentioned that witnesses informed investigators that the vehicle initially reversed about 28 meters before driving forward 150 meters, striking pedestrians along the way.
The driver claimed vehicle malfunction, and officials are scrutinizing security camera footage, Park Geum-cheon added.
