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2 dead, 4 injured in multi-vehicle crash involving fuel tanker, cargo trucks in Yeongcheon

Published: 17 Nov. 2025, 09:43 Updated: 17 Nov. 2025, 19:32

Firefighters work to extinguish the fire that broke out after a multi-vehicle collision involving a fuel tanker, several cargo trucks and passenger vehicles on the Sangju-Yeongcheon Expressway on Nov. 17. [GYEONGSANGBUK-DO FIRE DEPARTMENT]

Two people were killed and four others injured in a multi-vehicle collision involving a fuel tanker, several cargo trucks and passenger vehicles on the Sangju–Yeongcheon Expressway early Monday morning. The accident caused a full closure in both directions, leading to severe traffic congestion through the morning rush hour.

According to North Gyeongsang police and fire authorities, the crash occurred at around 3:12 a.m. near the Sinnyeong Interchange in Hwasan-ri, Sinnyeong-myeon, Yeongcheon, on the 63.7-kilometer (39.58-mile) mark in the Sangju-bound direction.

A 26-ton tanker truck carrying 24,000 liters (6,340 gallons) of Bunker C fuel, a heavy fuel oil used in marine applications, collided with the left side of a 25-ton cargo truck in the second lane. A 14-ton cargo truck following the tanker then slammed into its rear, triggering a chain reaction that led to additional crashes involving a 2.5-ton cargo truck, a passenger car, a bus and at least eight other vehicles.

Fires broke out across three vehicles — the tanker, the 14-ton truck and the 2.5-ton truck — and most of those vehicles were completely destroyed. The spillage of Bunker C fuel and contaminated water onto the roadway further complicated cleanup efforts. Firefighters managed to fully extinguish the blaze by 5:40 a.m., about two and a half hours after the initial emergency call.

The first collision caused steel materials to fall onto the opposite side of the expressway, triggering a secondary accident in the Yeongcheon-bound lanes. As vehicles attempted to swerve around the debris, a passenger car, another tanker truck and a 13-ton cargo truck crashed into a retaining wall and guardrails, compounding the damage.

As of press time, authorities confirmed that two people — including at least one cargo truck driver — have died and four others have sustained serious to minor injuries.

Officials work to clean up the scene after fire broke out due to a multi-vehicle collision involving a fuel tanker, several cargo trucks and passenger vehicles on the Sangju-Yeongcheon Expressway on Nov. 17. [YONHAP]

The expressway was shut down in both directions between the Sinnie and Donggunwi interchanges. Traffic was backed up for 3.9 kilometers toward Sangju and 5 kilometers toward Yeongcheon. At 4:35 a.m., the city of Yeongcheon sent out an emergency alert directing drivers to detour via local roads. Disaster response crews from the fire department and the city are currently working to contain the fuel and contaminated runoff.

Police said the tanker truck driver was not found to be under the influence of alcohol. An officer said, “We are continuing to investigate the exact cause of the accident and the extent of the damage.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]