 |
| ▲ A tour bus falls on its side in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, on April 13, 2023, in this photo provided by a reader, killing one and injuring 34 others. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
 |
| ▲ A tour bus falls on its side in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, on April 13, 2023, in this photo provided by North Chungcheong Province Fire Station. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(2nd LD) bus accident-injuries
(2nd LD) 1 Israeli dead, 34 others injured in bus accident in Chungju
(ATTN: ADDS photo, more details throughout)
CHUNGJU, South Korea, April 13 (Yonhap) -- A tour bus fell sideways in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, killing one Israeli and injuring 34 people on board, 32 of them Israelis, police said Thursday.
Eleven people who sustained serious injuries were taken to a nearby hospital. Among them, one Israeli, believed to be in her 60s, died at the hospital, police said.
The accident occurred around 6:05 p.m. in Suanbo-myeon, located southeast of the city.
The bus had departed from the southeastern city of Gyeongju, a popular tourist destination for its rich history and culture, and was about to arrive at a hotel in Suanbo, popular for its hot springs, where the tourists were supposed to stay for the night.
According to witness accounts, the bus was seen stopping midway up a hill, before moving backward and flipping sideways.
The tourist group consisted of 11 men and 22 women, mostly in their 60s, and is said to have moved to Israel from Russia in the early 1990s and spoke Russian, according to authorities.
They are said to have arrived in South Korean on April 6 on a packaged tour by a Seoul-based travel agency. They were scheduled to leave the country on April 17.
Police said they were investigating the accident based on the testimony about a faulty gear by the bus driver.
South Korea's foreign ministry said it will give necessary support for the Israeli victims upon request from the Israeli Embassy in Seoul.
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
