Seoul Incident: 13 Injured as Vehicle Crashes into Market Goers

Seoul, Dec 31 (NationPress) At least 13 individuals were injured on Tuesday when a sedan operated by a 73-year-old driver crashed into several pedestrians at a traditional market in South Korea's capital, according to police reports.

The incident took place at Mokdong Kkaebi Market in the southwestern part of Seoul around 3:50 PM, resulting in four people suffering serious injuries while nine others sustained minor injuries. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities reported thus far, as stated by the police.

The driver, who escaped the crash with minor injuries, was reportedly alone in the vehicle during the incident.

Witness accounts reveal that the car collided with pedestrians and market stalls before traveling approximately 100 meters further into the market area, eventually coming to a halt.

Among those injured is a 40-year-old fruit store employee who sustained critical injuries while working when the sedan struck.

Authorities confirmed that alcohol and drug tests performed on the driver returned negative results.

The driver explained to investigators that he had taken the car out of storage due to concerns about the battery dying after a prolonged period of inactivity.

"I accelerated to avoid a bus in front of me and then applied the brakes near a market stall. However, I can't clearly recall what occurred next," he stated.

The driver did not attribute the crash to sudden unintended acceleration, according to police.

Authorities plan to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash using surveillance footage, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

In a related note, the government has established nearly 90 memorial altars across 17 major cities and provinces nationwide, allowing the public to pay their respects to the victims of the tragic Jeju Air crash.

As of Tuesday, the remains of 174 of the 179 individuals who perished in the plane incident have been tentatively identified, as stated by the land ministry.

During a briefing for the victims' families at Muan International Airport, which is located 288 kilometers south of Seoul, the ministry indicated that they are still working to identify the remaining five victims.

"Out of the 32 individuals that could not be identified through fingerprints, we successfully identified 17 in the initial DNA test and an additional 10 in the second round," the ministry reported. "We are continuing to confirm the remaining five due to inconsistencies in the DNA results."

The bodies of four identified victims have already been released to their families, with funeral arrangements commencing in their respective hometowns on this day, according to official sources.

Officials previously indicated that it may take up to 10 days to identify and return all remains to the grieving families due to the severe charred condition of most bodies.