A tragic incident in Seoul has resulted in at least nine deaths after a car collided with a crowd of people near city hall.
The accident occurred at approximately 21:30 local time (13:30 BST), with reports indicating that a man in his 60s drove the vehicle into pedestrians waiting at a traffic stop.
Yonhap news agency reported that the car was traveling in the wrong direction and had crashed into two other vehicles before hitting pedestrians.
At least four additional individuals have been hospitalized as a result of the incident.
Police are currently investigating the matter and have cautioned that the casualty count may increase.
The driver, who was arrested at the scene, allegedly informed authorities that the car had suddenly accelerated.
Six people lost their lives immediately, while three others succumbed to their injuries later in hospital. According to Yonhap, the arrested man is 68 years old.
South Korea maintains a speed limit of 50 km/h (31 mph) on general urban roads and 30 km/h in residential areas, according to a recent OECD report on the country’s road safety standards.
In 2022, pedestrians accounted for 35% of all road fatalities in South Korea, a figure noted as relatively high compared to other OECD nations.
Despite this, the OECD report also highlighted a decline in overall road fatalities in recent years within the country.
Source-BBC
