1 soldier killed, 6 others injured as military vehicle overturns

A K-55 self-propelled artillery vehicle overturned in the southeastern South Korean city of Pohang on Monday, killing a service member and injuring six others with one in critical condition, the Korean news agency Yonhap quoted military officials as saying.

During the 10:15 a.m. accident, the Marine Corps vehicle veered off an unpaved road on a hill en route to a training ground in the city, located some 400 kilometers from the capital Seoul, and ditched 5 meters before overturning according to the officials.

The vehicle, the last of 19 moving in the mobilization, was carrying seven Marine service members at the time of the accident. It appeared the vehicle lost control as it had failed to navigate the corner around the end of a downhill on the road, they said.

A 22-year-old corporal, identified only by his surname Kim, was confirmed dead and five of the seven sustained slight injuries. A 23-year-old sergeant has been taken to a nearby hospital, and is in critical condition, they said.

The 26-ton K-55 self-propelled artillery gun, the Army's main artillery vehicle prior to the introduction of the K-9 self-propelled howitzer, can run 40 kilometers per hour.

Source: MENA