Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Bus fuel tank explodes, 17 injured
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The fuel tank of a natural gas-powered bus exploded while driving, injuring 17 passengers and passersby.
Around 4:50 p.m. Monday, the bus using compressed natural gas (CNG) driving past Haengdang Subway Station in northern Seoul exploded, police said.
A female passenger in her 40s was seriously injured, while 16 others, including the driver and passers-by, sustained slight injuries. The injured were transferred to four hospitals.
Police quoted a witness as saying smoke came out of the bus after a huge banging sound. "I saw a lady severely injured her leg and the driver came out of the bus covered in dirt," a passerby told Yonhap News.
The police assumed that fuel tank in the bottom of the bus had exploded due to hot weather.
"The bus was waiting for its signal and its middle part was blown up," a police officer said. Police will investigate further to figure out the exact cause of the accident.
In July 2008, another bus fuel tank exploded at the last bus stop in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.