South Korean trains collide, killing one and injuring dozens

A commuter train and a tourist train collides in Taebaek, a resort area about 200 km (125 miles) southeast of Seoul, South Korea, July 22, 2014.[Photo/IC]

SEOUL - Two passenger trains collided in South Korea on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring dozens, a hospital official and police said, in the latest in a string of accidents that has rattled the country.

A commuter train and a tourist train collided in Taebaek, a resort area about 200 km (125 miles) southeast of Seoul. A police official said more than 70 people had been injured.

The collision was estimated to be caused by a signal failure as one train passed by the Mungok Station without a stop. Trains are required to call at the single-track station where trains take turns to go by.

The exact cause of the collision was under investigation.

One female passenger in her 50s or 60s has been confirmed dead until now, and dozens of others wounded.

A total of 103 people were on board the crashed trains.

Witnesses said the terrific explosion sound was heard when the trains collided.

The passengers escaped from the crashed trains through their own efforts. A number of fire engines and rescuers were dispatched to the site.

In April, a ferry capsized on its way to the resort island of Jeju, killing more than 300 people, most of them children, a disaster that provoked grief and outrage.

That was followed by a fire at a shopping mall that killed eight and a fire at a hospital for the elderly that killed 21. Nearly 200 people were injured in two subway accidents in Seoul earlier this year.