At least 14 people sustained severe injuries after a man rammed his car into passers-by, before going on a stabbing frenzy, near a subway station in Seongnam city, South Korea. According to reports, the man drove his car into pedestrians and then went on a stabbing rampage at a department store adjacent to the metro station. Five of the victims were struck by a car that had driven onto the sidewalk, and nine others were stabbed with a knife, said officials.

 Twelve of them suffered serious injuries, rescue authorities said on Friday, adding that they could become brain-dead. The commissioner general of the National Police Agency, Yoon Hee Keun, said in a news conference on Thursday that the Seongnam attack is being treated as a “terrorist act”. Police arrested the assailant on Thursday and conducted a drug test which returned a negative result.

The Seoul police arrested the suspect – 10 minutes after reports were filed on this incident – on charges of murder and attempted murder, as well as theft and fraud. Authorities identified the attacker as Cho Sun, and said he is in his 30s. In South Korea, where violent crime is low, and such incidents – stabbings and car rampages— are rare.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)