Vehicles, including trucks, buses and cars, are piled up following a series of collisions involving 44 vehicles near the Gusan Interchange in the Paju-bound lanes of Jayu-ro in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, early Tuesday. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters

Multiple car crashes involving a total of 105 vehicles occurred in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, injuring 17 people and causing huge traffic disruptions during the morning rush hour, according to police and fire authorities.

The traffic accidents were caused by black ice, a thin, nearly invisible layer of ice formed by overnight freezing temperatures and snowfall. They occurred between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. on the Seoul-Munsan Highway and Jayu-ro in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

At around 5:15 a.m., 44 vehicles, including trucks, buses and cars, were involved in a series of collisions near the Gusan Interchange in the Paju-bound lanes of Jayu-ro.

The Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters categorized the accidents into four six-vehicle crashes, one three-car pileup, six two-car pileups and five single-vehicle accidents. Most drivers sustained minor abrasions, though a 16-ton truck driver was transported to a hospital with minor injuries.

At around 5:50 a.m., another chain-reaction car crash involving 43 vehicles occurred near the Goyang Junction in the Munsan-bound lanes of the Seoul-Munsan Highway in Goyang's Deokyang District.

Following the crashes, several roads were closed for cleanup, causing traffic jams to stretch for 3 kilometers near the Goyang rest stop, leading to the accident site.

At approximately 6:40 a.m., an additional 18 vehicles collided near the Heungdo Interchange on the Seoul-Munsan Highway, located past the Goyang rest stop.

These crashes left one person seriously injured, while 14 others were transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

In the aftermath of the two accidents, congestion prolonged on the Seoul-Munsan Highway, with traffic in the Munsan-bound lanes remaining stalled through the morning.

Vehicles are tangled up after a 43-vehicle pileup occurred near the Goyang Junction in the Munsan-bound lanes of the Seoul-Munsan Expressway in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, early Tuesday. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters

Traffic accidents likely caused by icy road conditions were also reported across Ansan, Hwaseong and Suwon in southern Gyeonggi Province on the same day, according to police and fire authorities.

A driver involved in an accident in Ansan is receiving hospital treatment for neck pain following a car crash.

Officials also attributed the incidents to black ice, which is formed when snow or rain freezes on road surfaces. It usually appears black as it blends with exhaust and dust, posing a significant danger to drivers.

"The icy conditions made it difficult for vehicles to maintain safe distances, resulting in a series of collisions," a police officer said. Authorities urged drivers to reduce speed and exercise caution when driving on icy roads.