Accidents Occur in Both Seoul and Busan Directions
No Serious Injuries Reported... Police "Investigating the Cause of the Accident"
As heavy snowfall caused nationwide traffic congestion, a chain collision involving 17 vehicles, including 10 express buses, occurred in both directions of the Gyeongbu Expressway near Cheonan.
According to the police, at 5:22 p.m. on the 28th, an SUV traveling in the 4th lane toward Busan near the Bukcheonan Interchange on the Gyeongbu Expressway in Chungnam slipped on the snowy road and stopped sideways in the bus-only 1st lane. An express bus that noticed this slowed down and stopped, but another bus following behind collided with it. Subsequently, three more buses and one passenger car also collided one after another.
At the same time, on the adjacent northbound road, a passenger car and an express bus slipped on the snowy road and collided. One passenger car and four buses following behind also collided consecutively.
As a result of these accidents, a total of eight people, including express bus passengers, complained of back pain and were transported to hospitals. According to the police, there were no serious injuries reported.
To manage the accident, some lanes were closed, causing severe traffic congestion for over two hours. The Korea Expressway Corporation sent a safety text message at 6:24 p.m. recommending detours via national roads at the Ansung IC on the southbound side and the Cheonan IC on the northbound side. Cheonan City also sent a similar safety message around the same time, urging drivers to reduce speed and maintain safe distances between vehicles.
The police are investigating the detailed circumstances of the accident, considering that the sudden heavy snowfall caused vehicles to slip at the time of the accident.
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