Multi-Vehicle Collision on Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway in Sangju Leaves 5 Dead

Over 30 Vehicles Involved, 5 Dead... Suspected Black Ice
Chain-Reaction Crash After Cargo Truck Plunge; Traffic Blocked in Both Directions

A multi-vehicle collision occurred on the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway passing through Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, resulting in at least five fatalities.

On the morning of the 10th, a multi-vehicle collision occurred on the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway in the Sangju section of North Gyeongsang Province, resulting in four fatalities. Photo by Korea Expressway Corporation

According to the police and fire authorities, at around 6:10 a.m. on the 10th, a 9.5-ton cargo truck crashed through the guardrail and fell near the Namsangju Interchange at the 71.8-kilometer mark in the direction of Yeongdeok, killing the driver.

As a result of this accident, a series of additional collisions occurred on the opposite lane, with three more fatalities among the passengers of passenger vehicles. In total, there were four separate collisions in the accident area.

The total number of confirmed fatalities so far is five, and the exact identities are still being confirmed. It is estimated that about 30 vehicles were involved in the chain-reaction collisions caused by this accident.

Immediately after the accident, the police completely restricted traffic in both directions around the scene and are currently conducting rescue, recovery, and accident handling operations. Traffic on the expressway near the Namsangju Interchange and the Uiseong Danmil 4 Tunnel was blocked for a period of time. Footage from Korea Expressway Corporation's closed-circuit (CC) TV showed long lines of vehicles backed up in the accident area.

The police and fire authorities suspect black ice on the road as a major cause of the accident and are investigating the exact circumstances.