Car rams into crowd in South Korean capital, killing nine

A car has hit pedestrians in Seoul, killing nine people and injuring at least four, South Korean media, citing police and fire officials, has reported.

Police at the scene, near Seoul city hall, declined to give further information.

YTN TV reported that the vehicle had rammed into pedestrians after hitting two other cars.

A police officer was administering CPR to a person on the ground at the site of the accident, according to video provided by a witness to Reuters.

Reports said that the driver, in his late 60s, had said the car suddenly accelerated. Police detained him at the scene.

Investigations are underway to determine if drugs or alcohol were involved, as well as whether the deadly incident was caused by accidental acceleration, Kim Chun-soo, a firefighter, said.

Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, described “a very sad accident” as he visited the crash site, according to city authorities.

He also ordered officials to “take the victims to the hospital quickly and thoroughly identify the cause of the accident”.

Deadly transport accidents with multiple casualties are rare in South Korea, which generally has well-maintained roads and vehicles.