Seoul, Dec 31, 2024
At least 13 people were injured on Tuesday when a sedan driven by a 73-year-old man crashed into multiple people at a traditional market in South Korea’s Seoul, police said.
The accident occurred at Mokdong Kkaebi Market in southwestern Seoul at around 3:50 pm, leaving four people seriously injured and nine others with minor injuries. No deaths have been reported so far, police said.
The driver, who was not seriously injured, was reportedly alone in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Witnesses said the car struck pedestrians and stalls before travelling about 100 metres further into the market and coming to a stop.
Among the injured is a 40-year-old employee of a fruit store, who suffered critical injuries. He was working at the store when the sedan crashed into it.
Police said alcohol and drug tests conducted on the driver returned negative.
The driver told investigators during questioning that he had taken the car out of storage because he was concerned about the battery running out after a long period of inactivity.
“I accelerated to avoid a bus in front of me and then hit the brakes near a market stall. However, I don’t clearly remember what happened next,” he said.
The driver did not claim the crash was caused by sudden unintended acceleration, police added.
The police plan to investigate the cause of the crash based on surveillance camera footage, Yonhap news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the country’s government has set up nearly 90 memorial altars in 17 major cities and provinces across the nation to allow anyone to visit and pay their respects to the victims of the tragic Jeju Air crash.
The remains of 174 of the 179 people killed in plane crash have tentatively been identified, the land ministry said Tuesday.
During a briefing for victims’ families at Muan International Airport in the county 288 kilometers south of Seoul, the ministry said it is still checking to identify the remaining five victims.
“Of the 32 people who could not be identified by fingerprints, we identified 17 people in the first DNA test and 10 more in the second round,” it said. “We are further confirming the remaining five due to DNA inconsistencies.”
The bodies of four of the identified victims have been handed over to their families, and funeral arrangements have begun at their respective hometowns this day, according to officials.
Officials earlier said it could take up to 10 days for all the remains to be identified and delivered to the bereaved families as most of the bodies were severely charred.(Agency)
