At least nine people were killed and four injured Monday when a car driving the wrong way hit pedestrians near Seoul City Hall, police said.
Six people died at the scene, and three others were pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital, firefighter Kim Chun-soo said.
AFP
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that a 68-year-old driver plowed into a crowd waiting at a red light.
He was driving the wrong way and hit two other vehicles before hitting the pedestrians, according to Yonhap.
AFP
A man was arrested by police after the incident, said Kim Suk-hwan, director of security and transportation for Jung-gu district.
An investigation has been opened to determine whether drugs or alcohol were involved, and whether it could have been accidental acceleration by the driver, Kim said.
AFP
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon called it “a very sad accident” as he visited the scene, according to the city government. He urged emergency services to “quickly take the victims to hospital and investigate the causes of the accident in detail.”
Transport accidents with multiple casualties are rare in South Korea, which has generally well-maintained roads and vehicles.
