5 killed, 9 wounded in S. Korea's car accident

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and nine others wounded in a traffic accident in South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported Saturday citing the fire authorities.

A van carrying day laborers collided with a bus at an intersection in Ansan, about 30 km south of the capital Seoul, at around 5:45 a.m. local time (2045 GMT Friday).

Affected by the collision, the van bounced off and hit a passenger car waiting on the opposite lane before coming to a stop.

Five laborers in the van were sent to a nearby hospital and confirmed dead. The Chinese embassy in South Korea has confirmed that at least one Chinese national was found among the killed.

Seven others in the van, including a driver, was injured, while two in the passenger car were wounded. One of the injured was in critical condition.

The police suspected that the van violated a traffic signal at the intersection, planning to investigate the exact cause of the accident.