Major Traffic Accident Near Seoul City Hall Station on the 1st
Number of Casualties Increasing from Initial Report of One
Checking Consciousness and Providing First Aid Despite Tears
On the 1st, a traffic accident near City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, resulted in 16 casualties, and it has been confirmed that the fire department received 14 urgent calls. Despite the chaos, the callers checked the victims' consciousness or provided first aid themselves.
On the morning of the 4th, a mourner is bowing at the site of a wrong-way driving accident near City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
According to the 119 emergency call recordings related to the City Hall Station traffic accident, submitted by the fire department to Yoon Geon-young, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the first call was received at 9:27:20 p.m. on the 1st, followed by a total of 14 calls within 15 minutes. The initial report described a severe car accident at the City Hall Station intersection, with statements such as "It seems like a collision between passenger cars." The caller reported, "The car was completely destroyed by the impact," and "One person is lying on the road."
The second call came just 27 seconds later. At this time, the number of casualties reportedly increased significantly. A caller who witnessed the accident while crossing the crosswalk said, "More than five people are down," and "A black passenger car suddenly ran onto the sidewalk, injuring many people." Three seconds later, the number of casualties increased again. When asked, "How many patients do you think there are?" the caller replied, "One, two, three, four, five, six," adding, "Many are unconscious." When the operator asked, "If I connect you to the first aid department now, can you provide first aid, sir?" the caller hesitated but soon responded, "I will do it."
On the night of the 1st, fragments scattered as traces of the accident were found on the sidewalk at the intersection near Seoul City Hall Station where a major traffic accident occurred. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Around the same time, a caller working at a convenience store near the accident site reported the damage with a trembling voice. The caller said, "There was a motorcycle accident, and a person was injured and came onto the sidewalk," adding, "It seems like they are not breathing." Despite being unable to stop crying, the caller complied with the operator's request to check if the victim was conscious and breathing.
Another caller said, "There was a loud noise, and people were all down, but only one person was in a condition to receive CPR. The others..." The caller trailed off before explaining, "The others are not in a condition to do that." He added, "I called because I was one of the first to see the accident and wondered if I could help." The 12th call included the statement, "People are lying on the ground. About seven, but I saw four to five."
The driver of the offending vehicle, Mr. A (68), exited the Westin Chosun Hotel near City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul, around 9:27 p.m. on the 1st and drove the wrong way on a one-way four-lane road. The vehicle ran onto the sidewalk at nearly 100 km/h. This caused a major traffic accident resulting in nine deaths and seven injuries. Mr. A claims the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration, but the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined.
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