This photo shows the vehicle crash site near Seokgye Station in Seoul, March 29. Captured from X

A ready-mix truck crashed into a box truck from behind in northeastern Seoul, causing a 13-car pileup that killed one driver, officials said Friday.

The accident happened near Seokgye Station on Seoul Metro lines 1 and 6 at 9:21 a.m., when a ready-mix truck struck a 1-ton box truck waiting for a traffic light, leaving 13 vehicles, including one motorcycle, tangled together.

The crash left 17 people injured, five of whom were taken to a nearby hospital. Of them, two sustained severe injuries, including the driver of the box truck, who eventually died.

The area near the accident site suffered heavy traffic congestion as officials closed off the area to manage the scene of the accident.

"It will take at least 30 to 40 minutes to tow the vehicles," a police officer said at the time of the accident.

Police stated that they suspect the driver of the ready-mix truck failed to apply the vehicle's brakes while on a downhill incline. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the crash. (Yonhap)

Vehicle debris is seen at the crash site near Seokgye Station in northeastern Seoul, March 29. Yonhap