20 boot-camp soldiers injured in runaway bus plunge
A military bus lies on its roof after the accident in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, Tuesday evening. Twenty-two soldiers were injured. / Yonhap
By Oh Young-jin
Twenty boot-camp soldiers were injured, three seriously, after a runaway bus crashed 20 meters down a hill after its brakes apparently failed on Tuesday evening.
According to military investigators, most of the soldiers on board were not wearing seatbelts. They also suspected a brake failure from poor maintenance.
The bus plunged after coming out of a tunnel in the frontline town of Yanggu, Gangwon Province, around 5 p.m. The bus driver and a supervisor also were injured. The recruits were returning to camp after medical treatment for colds.
The noncommissioned officer in charge said the bus did not slow down on a steep downhill, even though the driver floored the brakes. He also unsuccessfully tried to use the handbrake.
Police said the road was not slippery or ice covered.
The guardrail that received the first impact from the runaway bus was crushed out of shape. The bus was badly damaged.