5 day laborers killed in traffic accident in Ansan

A collision between a van and bus killed five day laborers in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on Saturday. Three Chinese nationals and two Koreans were killed in the traffic accident.

Fire authorities carry out a rescue operation at a site of a traffic accident at an intersection in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on Saturday. A van carrying day laborers collided with a bus, resulting in five deaths. [NEWS1]

A collision between a van and bus killed five day laborers in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on Saturday.

At around 5:45 a.m., a van carrying day laborers to work collided with a bus and overturned at an intersection in Sangnok District, Ansan, according to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters.

Three Chinese nationals and two Koreans were killed in the traffic accident.

They were immediately transferred to a hospital but died.

Nine others on the van, including the driver, were injured. One person was reported to be in critical condition.

There were reportedly seven people on the bus involved in the accident, who were not injured.

The van was operated by a human resources company based in Danwon District in Ansan, a neighborhood with the highest density of foreign residents in the country. The victims reportedly were day laborers who were heading to a worksite arranged through a labor agency earlier that morning.

Police said the drivers of the van and bus weren’t found to be under the influence of alcohol. The exact cause of the accident is being investigated.

Gyeonggi police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident but indicated the van may have entered the intersection violating a traffic signal.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]