A terrifying bus accident rocked Seoul’s western district on Friday, as an intracity vehicle skidded off course and barreled into pedestrians, hospitalizing 13 with two in grave condition. Officials from rescue operations provided the grim update from the site near Seodaemun Station.
The mishap occurred at 1:15 PM at a hectic crossroads. The bus abruptly left the roadway, colliding with a sedan, a bike, and foot traffic before halting against a building wall. The area descended into pandemonium, according to Yonhap reports.
Key victims include a 50-year-old female pedestrian with a fractured leg and a 30-year-old man suffering head trauma. They were among eight rushed to medical facilities. The injured driver, 50 years old, will undergo drug testing as standard procedure.
Early checks show no intoxication by the driver, but the full story awaits forensic analysis. A witness detailed the bus’s sudden deviation into the throng. The woman victim described explosive noises like those from a war zone, prompting her desperate flight.
Massive response efforts involved 271 staff and 18 machines to manage the scene and extract the bus. Cause determination is priority one for investigators.
Just six days prior, black ice wreaked havoc in North Gyeongsang on January 10, felling five in highway carnage. At 6:20 AM on the Seo-san-Yeongdeok route, a truck evaded stopped cars, crashed through rails, and plummeted, killing its operator. Nearby, a sedan flipped, claiming four lives—possibly trailer-related. At 6:35 AM, an SUV smashed into a truck, erupted in flames.
Five confirmed dead by 11 AM, many hurt, with 20 vehicles implicated. Sections of highway shut down temporarily. Police eye black ice from sleet as the culprit, stressing vigilant driving in frosty conditions.