Nine dead in central Seoul after car collides with pedestrians

Nine people were killed on Monday when a car collided with pedestrians near a busy intersection in central Seoul, officials said.

Four other people were injured in the incident outside the city hall, but their injuries were not life-threatening, said Kim Chun-soo, a senior fire department official.

The driver of the car claimed he lost control of his car when it suddenly accelerated, local news media reported. Kim Seong-hak, a public security official in Jung-gu district in central Seoul, said authorities could not immediately confirm the reports, adding that police were investigating the driver.

He also said officers were investigating whether the driver was drunk or under the influence of drugs.