Deadly snowfall leaves 94 injured, hundreds of cars trapped in South Korea

One person was killed while 94 others sustained injuries as heavy snowfall engulfed South Korea's northeast region, authorities reported Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Hundreds of vehicles were trapped on some parts of a highway along the east coast, while more than 460 accidents occurred on snow-covered roads.

The snowfall began Monday morning, March 1, and continued into Tuesday. Up to 20 cm (7.9 inches) of snow fell inland while up to 77.6 cm (30.5 inches) was registered in the mountains.

The snow paralyzed traffic in some parts of the country, leaving hundreds of cars trapped in a 2 km (1.2 miles) stretch between the intersections of Sokcho and Yangyang on late Monday.

More than 460 car accidents were reported, resulting in 94 people injured and one fatality. The victim was hit by a car inside a tunnel on a highway linking Seoul to Yangyang. Travel services, including train, ferry, and flight, were affected by cancellations.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) said more than 160 military personnel were deployed to help motorists out of the snow. Meanwhile, the local government of Yangyang sent food assistance for 1 530 people.

Authorities also sent more than 3 000 workers and almost 2 900 pieces of equipment to clear snow from roads across the affected regions. In Gangwon alone, about 1 200 people were deployed to remove the snow.

Julie Celestial

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