Nine people killed and driver, 68, arrested after car crashes into crowds

The victims are yet to be identified, and police have warned that the number of casualties could increase.

Nine people have died after a car crashed into crowds of people in the South Korean capital city.

The crash happened close to Seoul city hall at around 9.30pm local time (1.30pm BST) on Monday after a car hit a number of people waiting at a traffic light.

The car drove in the wrong direction and hit two other cars before hitting the pedestrians.

Six people were found dead at the scene, while three others later died from their injuries in hospital, and a further four people were injured, one seriously.

The nine victims are yet to be identified, and police have warned that the number of casualties could increase.

The driver, a 68-year-old man, was arrested at the scene and South Korean media reports suggest he spoke of a sudden, unintended acceleration.

Kim Suk-hwan, safety and transport director at the city’s Jung-gu district office, said an investigation into the cause of the incident is now underway.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the crash site and described it as ‘a very sad accident’.

He also ordered officials to ‘take the victims to the hospital quickly and thoroughly identify the cause of the accident’.

Two other cars were damaged in the crash, with pictures showing damaged fencing and shattered glass over the pavement.

The car involved, with its front crumpled, was towed away by police.

In 2022, pedestrians in South Korea accounted for 35% of all road deaths – a high share compared to other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, the agency reported.

But in the same report, it was noted that road fatalities in the country had declined in recent years.

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