5 killed, 37 injured in S.Korea’s tunnel fire

SEOUL: Five people were killed and 37 others injured in a fire that engulfed a noise-barrier tunnel along an expressway in Gwacheon city, just south of the capital Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported Thursday.

The fire broke out at about 1:49 p.m. local time (0449 GMT) after a collision accident between a bus and a truck, which caught fire and spread flames to the tunnel along the second Gyeongin expressway.

Five people were found dead in the collided vehicles. The death toll was initially tallied at six, but it was revised down to five later.

Three others were in critical condition, leaving a possibility for additional deaths. Thirty-four people suffered minor injuries after smoke inhalation.

The firefighting authorities dispatched 94 fire engines and equipment as well as about 220 firefighters to extinguish the fire.

The flames were completely brought under control at about 4:12 p.m. local time.

The police and fire authorities reportedly planned to investigate the exact cause of the incident.

-Xinhua