2 dead, 5 injured after train hits railway workers in Cheongdo in South Korea
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Police officers examining a site near the tracks of the Seoul-Busan railway in Cheongdo, South Korea, on Aug 19.
PHOTO: EPA
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SEOUL – Two workers were confirmed dead and five others injured after a train struck a group of maintenance personnel along the Gyeongbu Line in Cheongdo, South Korea, on the morning of Aug 19, according to the authorities.
The seven workers were conducting post-flood safety inspections when the incident occurred at around 10.50am near a bullfighting stadium in Cheongdo. The Mugunghwa Train No. 1903, en route from Dongdaegu Station to Jinju, hit them on or near the tracks.
The victims were part of a team inspecting slope structures damaged during recent torrential rains in the region.
Of the seven workers hit, two died at the scene. The five survivors were transported to local hospitals, with some reported to be in critical condition. The injured include both subcontracted workers from structural safety inspection companies and personnel affiliated with Korea Railroad (Korail).
The train was carrying 89 passengers, none of whom are reported to have sustained injuries.
Korail stated the workers were en route to visually inspect flood-damaged infrastructure when the accident occurred.
“Due to heavy rainfall in the Cheongdo area in recent days, safety inspections were being carried out,” a Korail spokesperson said, adding that the exact sequence of events leading up to the accident remains under investigation.
The police are focusing on whether necessary safety precautions under the Railroad Safety Act were followed, including the presence of spotters and advance coordination with train operations.
Investigators are also questioning the employers and worksite supervisors responsible for the inspection team. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
