Yeongcheon: A chain-reaction accident involving 13 vehicles, including a tank truck, occurred on an expressway in the southeastern city of Yeongcheon early Monday morning, killing two and injuring four others. The incident took place on a bridge near the Shinnyeong interchange on the Sangju-Yeongcheon expressway, approximately 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 3:12 a.m.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the accident was initiated when a 26-ton tank truck carrying 24,000 liters of bunker C oil rear-ended a 25-ton cargo truck. Subsequently, a 14-ton truck collided with the tank truck, setting off a series of collisions involving seven other vehicles, including passenger cars and a bus.

In addition to the initial collisions, several H beams loaded on one of the trucks fell into the opposite lane. This led to further collisions as a passenger car, another tank truck, and a 13-ton cargo truck attempted to avoid the debris.

Police reported that two passenger car drivers and one truck driver were killed, while four others sustained injuries. Fortunately, some 20 passengers aboard the bus were unharmed. The accident also resulted in fires in three vehicles-a tank truck, a 14-ton cargo truck, and a 2.5-ton cargo truck-which were extinguished within two and a half hours.

Authorities noted that oil from one of the tank trucks involved in the accident leaked into nearby rice paddies and waterways, adding an environmental concern to the tragic incident.