At least two people have died and 18 others were injured this Thursday in South Korea, nine of them seriously, after a truck lost control and will crash into a market in the city of Bucheon.
The incident occurred shortly before 11:00 local time (2:00 GMT), when the driver of the vehicle, a man in his sixties, allegedly lost control of the device due to a brake failure, according to the first police testimonies collected by the local news agency Yonhap.
The man would have declared to the authorities after the accident: “I hit the brakes, but they didn’t work”according to the aforementioned media.
Among the injured were three women between 70 and 80 years old who were found in cardiorespiratory arrest, among whom were the two deceased, and six were in serious condition when they were taken to the hospital by the emergency services.
Local firefighters sent 20 vehicles and about 60 personnel to the scene for assistance efforts, according to the agency.
Police officials told the media that “There could be more victims” in the area, and the operation continues while the driver, who was not seriously injured after the accident, was arrested and taken to a police station for further interrogation.
According to the investigation, security camera images show that the truck initially retreated 28 meters and then drove in a straight line for about 150 meters until causing the accident by crashing into a store.
Authorities continue to analyze the details of what happened. During the journey until it crashed, the damaged vehicle did not collide with any store or leave the route, but instead ran over people who were on the road, they reported.