Gyeongbu High-Speed Line KTX Bound for Busan Derails... 7 Injured (Comprehensive)

Seven Minor Injuries from Glass Shards and Falling Items on Shelf
Detours via Daejeon-Dongdaegu KTX Regular Line and Partial Train Service Suspension

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A KTX-Sancheon train traveling from Seoul Station to Busan Station derailed.

According to Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) on the 5th, at around 11:58 a.m., one carriage (car No. 4) of KTX-Sancheon Train No. 23, which departed from Seoul Station and was heading to Busan Station, derailed near the Yeongdong Tunnel between Yeongdong and Gimcheon-Gumi. This train had departed Seoul Station at 10:30 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Busan Station at 1:13 p.m.

The accident caused minor injuries to seven people due to glass shards and falling items from overhead racks (six of whom have returned home), and the remaining passengers transferred to an emergency standby train at the site.

The accident is reported to have occurred when the track wheels went off the rails during work to move the up-line track and compact gravel for tunnel construction. It is also reported that a steel structure inside the tunnel fell and struck the train. The exact cause will be investigated by the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board.

After the accident, KTX trains operating on the Daejeon to Dongdaegu section are being rerouted via conventional lines, and some trains have been suspended.

Korail stated, "An emergency response team was immediately deployed to carry out recovery work, but it is expected that the restoration will take a considerable amount of time," adding, "We are doing our best to restore normal operations starting with the first train tomorrow."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.