On the 18th at around 10:41 a.m., a multiple vehicle collision involving 41 vehicles occurred near the Choamsan Tunnel on the Namhae Expressway (towards Mokpo) in Gyeongbaek-myeon, Boseong-gun. As a result of the accident, 11 individuals including drivers and passengers (1 seriously injured, 10 with minor injuries) were transported to the hospital by emergency services.
Some drivers reported experiencing pain but expressed to emergency services that they did not wish to be transported to the hospital, deciding to seek medical treatment later.
Police identified that the 45-passenger tour bus driven by A (64) skidded on the snowy road, colliding with the central divider, which initiated the accident. The tour bus came to a stop on a two-lane road, and a following freight truck crashed into the central divider in an attempt to avoid it, leading to a multiple vehicle collision.
Police at the scene are managing the accident response after blocking vehicle access to the highway from the Beolgyo Interchange, located 9 km from the accident site. One direction of the highway towards Mokpo is blocked, while traffic towards Suncheon is allowed.
The police report that the initial accident caused by black ice led to a chain reaction of multiple collisions and are investigating the precise circumstances of the incident.
As of 11 a.m. on the same day, 7.8 cm of snow had fallen in Boseong.