During the Lunar New Year holiday travel period, heavy snow has led to numerous highway traffic accidents across the country on the 27th. According to the Gyeongbuk Police Agency’s highway patrol, a 28-car collision occurred at around 11 AM at the 48km point in the Cheongju direction of the Dangjin-Yeongdeok Expressway in Hwanam-myeon, Sangju City.
Around the same time, a four-car pile-up happened about 1km away at the 47km mark. As a result of these accidents, a total of 15 people sustained minor injuries, with 12 at the 48km point and three at the 47km point, as reported by the police. The Korea Expressway Corporation temporarily redirected vehicles entering the Hwaseo IC in Hwaseo-myeon, Sangju City, to national roads due to the accident’s impact.
A police official stated that both accidents appear to have been caused by slippery conditions due to snow and that traffic is being managed as tow trucks arrive. They noted that further investigation is needed as some vehicles had left the scene post-accident.
Additionally, at around 11:20 AM, another accident involving a bus and a passenger car, a 11-car pile-up, occurred near the Wonju IC on the Yeongdong Expressway in the direction of Gangneung, in Gahyeon-dong, Wonju City, Gangwon Province. This incident resulted in injuries to more than 10 people, including two seriously and eight with minor injuries. These individuals were transported to the hospital.
The section of the highway where the accident occurred was completely closed for traffic, resulting in severe congestion in the area. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the activation of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters at Level 1 and raised the snow crisis alert level from ‘attention’ to ‘caution’ for regions significantly impacted by the snow advisory, including the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang regions.
They urged local governments, police, and fire authorities in areas with snow advisories and expected heavy snowfall to establish an emergency response system during the Lunar New Year holiday. Koki-dong, Acting Minister of Administration and Safety and head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, emphasized that the government would concentrate its efforts to minimize damage from heavy snow and cold during the holiday and advised people to adhere to safety guidelines for personal safety.
*Image by Yonhap News*