A truck crashed into a sidewalk at a market in South Korea on Thursday, killing two people and injuring at least 20 others.
The truck was reportedly being driven by a man in his 60s, who plowed into the sidewalk at a market in Bucheon at about 10.55am local time on Thursday.
At least two women who went into cardiac arrest died, reported the Chosun Daily. At least eight others have sustained serious injuries. All the victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
The driver was rescued after being trapped in the door and was not in a critical condition. He was not under the influence of alcohol when tested by the police, a police official said at a briefing, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.
The truck appeared to reverse for 28m before accelerating towards the outdoor market, the official said.
The driver blamed a sudden surge of acceleration for the incident, he said.
The driver told the police the truck’s brakes had failed, reported Xinhua News. The police would hand the vehicle over to investigators to try to pinpoint the cause of the crash, the official said.
The man has been booked under charges of negligent homicide and injury under the Traffic Accident Special Act.
The vehicle drove about 100m into the market before crashing into a store and coming to a halt.
“I was eating inside the store when I heard screams outside, followed by a loud noise as a car passed by and crashed with a bang,” said Jin Mo, a 43-year-old seller in the market. Another merchant told Chosun Daily: “The sound during the accident was so loud that I thought the building was collapsing.”
Earlier this month, a Japanese tourist was killed in Seoul while another was injured after being hit by a driver who was under the influence of alcohol, said police.
