Over 80 injured in 7-vehicle pileup in S.Korea

Seoul, June 16

Over 80 people were injured in a seven-vehicle pileup, including three buses carrying middle school students on a field trip, in South Korea's Gangwon province on Friday, police said.

The chain-reaction accident, which also involved a passenger sedan and three trucks, occurred at 1.26 p.m. (local time) on National Road No. 44 in Hongcheon, about 100 km east of Seoul, Yonhap News Agency quoted the police as saying.

Police and emergency rescue officials said the pileup resulted in three people sustaining serious injuries and 79 others minor injuries.

The three buses were reportedly carrying students and teachers from a middle school in Seoul, who were on a field trip, they said, adding about 79 injuries were reported from the buses alone.

About 30 firefighters were taking part in the rescue operation, while police were investigating the cause of the accident.