Train Collision in SKorea Kills One, Injures Dozens

by TONY KIM

South Korean authorities are investigating a head-on collision between a tourist train and commuter train in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, which covers northeastern area of Korea. The crash killed one 77-year-old woman, surnamed Park, and injured 92 passengers, 10 of whom are in critical condition, according to authorities. Three Taebaek hospitals were treating the injured passengers.

The impact, which occurred between Taebak Station and Mungok Station, was enough to derail one car compartment of each train. According to Korea Times, several passengers jumped off the trains after hearing the crash and feeling a large shock. Rescue workers were able to respond quickly and evacuate the other passengers. Sixty-seven passengers had been on the commuter train and 43 on the tourist train.

Although there is no confirmed reason for the crash, Lee Kwang-won, a transport ministry official overseeing the railway control systems, speculated that the driver of the tourist train might have been at fault. “The driver of the O-Train may have misread the signal or the signal may not have worked properly,” Lee told Yonhap News. “The accident could either be due to the driver’s mistake or the signal malfunctioning.”

The Korea Herald reported that Suh Seoung-hwan, the minister of The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, had left late Tuesday to visit the accident site.

Photo via Yonhap News