Rush hour delays after trucks collide on Seoul-bound expressway

Two trucks collided on the Gyeongbu Expressway in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday morning. [YONHAP]

Two drivers were injured after their trucks crashed on the Seoul-bound lanes of the Gyeongbu Expressway in Gyeonggi on Tuesday morning.

The incident, which caused both trucks to rollover, occurred near the Pangyo interchange of the highway in the city of Seongnam, around 6 a.m.

A driver in his 60s, who was driving a 25-ton freight truck, was severely injured, while the other trucker in his 40s, who was driving a dump truck, suffered mild injuries. Both truckers were sent to hospital.

Additionally, sand loaded on the dump truck spilled across the highway.

The traffic authorities closed four lanes out of the expressway's five lanes to clear the scene.

The collision is causing traffic delays during the morning rush hour, resulting in a queue extending for some 6 to 7 kilometers (3.7 to 4.3 miles).

“It appears that the crash happened on the third or fourth lane; the details have not yet been fully investigated,” the police said. “Because of the cleaning efforts, the full operation of all lanes might take some time.”

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]