Truck hits pedestrians in South Korea market, killing 2 people and injuring 18

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A truck plowed into pedestrians at an outdoor market in South Korea, killing two people and injuring 18 Thursday, officials said.

The two people were pronounced dead at a hospital following the incident shortly before 11 a.m. in Bucheon city, near the capital of Seoul.

Nine people sustained serious injuries among the 18 who were hurt, Bucheon’s municipal government said, noting it wasn’t immediately clear if any of the injuries were life-threatening.

Police are questioning the unidentified truck driver in his 60s who was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, said Son Byeong-sam, a police official in Bucheon.

Park Geum-cheon, an official at Bucheon’s fire station, said witnesses told investigators that the vehicle initially reversed about 28 meters (92 feet) before driving forward 150 meters (492 feet), hitting pedestrians on the way.

The driver claimed his vehicle had malfunctioned and that officials were reviewing security camera footage, he said.

Photos from the scene showed the truck jammed into a storefront in a jumble of debris, including toppled boxes, clothing and broken signboards. The front left side of the truck was mangled and its windows were shattered. Officials later removed the vehicle from the scene to investigate the crash.

Bucheon will support the restoration of damaged facilities, Mayor Cho Yong-eek said in a statement, adding that the city also will conduct safety inspections and provide psychological support for merchants and others who witnessed the crash.

Cho’s office did not immediately have an estimate of the property damage, including the number of shops that were impacted.