Nearly 50 cars collide on icy road in South Korea, killing one and injuring many

At least 47 vehicles collided on an icy highway near the South Korean capital Seoul, killing one person and injuring dozens. The accident took place near a section of the highway entering Pocheon, which is about 40 kilometers north of Seoul. The vehicles skidded on the slippery road and collided in succession. At least three motorists sustained serious injuries while another person had to be transported to a hospital in cardiac arrest, and was pronounced dead.

At least 29 other people were treated at hospitals for light injuries while rescue workers used buses to drive home an unspecified number of people whose injuries weren’t significant enough to require hospital treatment.

Photos of the accident site showed police officers and rescuers rushing around with stretchers, through throngs of cars on a road scattered with debris. Many of the vehicles, which included at least one commuter bus, had damaged fronts or rear-ends. Some vehicles even appeared to have been knocked sideways.

The nearly 50-vehicle pile-up was the biggest among multiple traffic accidents that occurred in the country over the weekend because of icy road conditions and snow. Earlier in the week, seven vehicles collided near a highway tunnel near the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, leaving at least two people injured.

Last month, as many as 200 vehicles were recently involved in an unfortunate pile-up on a bridge in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou. Local reports claimed that the incident took place at a time when dense fog had covered the Zhengxin Huanghe Bridge, reducing visibility significantly.

Footage of the scene of the accident showed many of the vehicles in a sorry state, having crashed into one another. The incident also led to the entire passageway on the bridge being blocked for movement. Reports further highlighted that as many as 11 fire trucks and 66 personnel were deployed for rescue efforts and clear the bridge of the vehicles.