Home > National > Social Affairs

Traffic accidents, roadside mishaps follow icy winter storm

Published: 07 Feb. 2025, 17:25

A tin structure lies in the middle of a street in Daejeon after strong winds blew it off a building on Feb. 7. [YONHAP]

Heavy snowfall that had accumulated on roads since Thursday led to a series of traffic accidents across the country on Friday.

At 8:34 a.m., a 1-ton truck traveling in the first lane near the Dangjin Interchange on the West Coast Expressway toward Seoul in South Chungcheong slid on the snowy road and veered into the second lane.

As a result, a 12-ton truck in the second lane collided with the 1-ton truck, leaving the driver, a man in his 70s, in cardiac arrest. He was transported to a hospital.

At 6:12 a.m., a commuter bus collided with a compact car in Jangan District, Suwon. The driver of the vehicle suffered facial and head injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening.

At 5:29 a.m., a car carrier accident occurred on the Jungbu Inland Expressway near Gamgok Interchange in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong. One of the four vehicles loaded onto the carrier fell onto the road. Authorities closed the road for about 1 hour and 20 minutes to manage the accident.

On Thursday at 5:16 p.m., a bus bound for Seoul skidded on an icy road and crashed into a curb at the exact location, injuring four of the 26 passengers.

At 10:05 a.m. on Thursday, a 72-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by a tow truck that slid on the snowy road near a large resort in Hongcheon County, Gangwon.

There were also numerous incidents of people slipping on icy roads and falling objects causing damage.

At 9:08 a.m. on Friday, a part of a tin plate structure on the roof of a 15-story studio apartment building in Daejeon fell onto the roadside, prompting three vehicles to crash into each other while trying to avoid the fallen structure.

At 4:25 a.m., firefighters took safety measures in Gunsan, North Jeolla, after receiving a report that a traffic signal was at risk of falling.

A truck lies on its side after sliding on an icy road in South Jeolla on Feb. 6. [YONHAP]

Gangwon saw cases of people stranded due to heavy snow.

At 10:31 p.m. on Thursday, two people were rescued after their vehicle became trapped in snow in Gangneung. At 6:08 p.m. the same day, four people were stranded at an observatory in Pyeongchang County and eventually returned home safely.

At 6:13 p.m., a person was transported to a hospital with an ankle injury after slipping on ice in Bucheon, Gyeonggi.

At 8:50 p.m. on the same day, a person in Anseong suffered a head injury after slipping on an icy road and was taken to a hospital.

In North Chungcheong, 10 people suffered injuries of varying severity due to slip-and-fall accidents overnight and were transported to hospitals.

At 6:09 p.m. on Thursday, reports were received about large icicles forming on bridges and building exteriors, including at Ganseok Overpass in Incheon. Firefighters carried out ice removal operations to prevent further hazards.

A truck lies on its side after sliding on an icy road in South Jeolla on Feb. 6. [YONHAP]

Weather conditions also affected air travel and roadways nationwide.

According to Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation on Friday, 33 flights were canceled and 46 were delayed at 15 airports nationwide as of noon.

Jeju Airport had the highest number of cancellations, with 17 flights grounded, followed by Cheongju with six, Gimpo with five and Gimhae, Yeosu, Sacheon, Gunsan and Wonju with one each.

A total of 600 flights were scheduled to operate at the 14 airports managed by Korea Airports Corporation, including Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju.

Some roads were preemptively closed to prevent snow-related accidents.

In North Chungcheong, Routes No. 1, 9 and 21 were restricted.

In South Gyeongsang, sections of Odorae and Wontongjae in Hamyang, as well as Namjaeryeong in Geochang, were also closed to traffic.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]