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| A rescue worker looks into the overturned car on in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, Monday. Yonhap |
3 Migrant workers disappear from crashed van
By Lee Suh-yoon
A van carrying 16 people ― mostly elderly women and migrant workers on their way to work at a chive farm ― crashed on a sloping curve in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, Monday morning.
The van slammed into the guardrail at 7:33 a.m. and toppled off the road on its side. The driver and three others on board were transferred to a hospital but were pronounced dead upon arrival. Two of the four were migrant workers from Thailand.
Nine other passengers found at the site are currently hospitalized, with three of them suffering from severe injuries, rescue officials said.
"Two of the hospitalized are also one male and one female worker from Thailand," a National Fire Agency spokesperson told The Korea Times.
Another three foreign workers disappeared from the accident site, likely to evade scrutiny from authorities due to problems with their visa status.
The van hurled through the guardrail and left the vehicle's exterior in tatters. Some passengers were found under broken glass and seats in the overturned vehicle.
Police believe the van crashed after the driver lost control on the right curve on a downward slope. The van set off from Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, five hours prior to the crash, and was on its way to Gagok, an area of Samcheok well-known for onion farming.
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| The crushed guardrail hints at the accident scene. Yonhap |
