Multi-car crash sparks fire in Daegwallyeong Tunnel, blocking Gangneung-bound traffic

A fire broke out inside the Daegwallyeong 4th Tunnel on the Yeongdong Expressway following a four-vehicle collision, forcing a complete closure of the road heading towards Gangneung. The incident occurred around 11:52 AM on July 17 in Wangsan-ri, Gangneung City, Gangwon Province.

Preliminary investigations indicate that four vehicles, including a sports utility vehicle (SUV), were involved in the chain-reaction crash. A total of 16 individuals were reportedly in the vehicles at the time of the accident. Shortly after the collision, a fire erupted from the SUV, quickly spreading within the tunnel.

Emergency services were dispatched to the scene. The Gangneung Fire Station initially declared a Level 1 response at 12:22 PM but escalated it to Level 2 at 12:32 PM due to the challenging conditions inside the tunnel, including limited visibility caused by smoke. A total of 18 pieces of equipment and 54 personnel were deployed to combat the fire. The Korea Expressway Corporation implemented a full traffic control for the Gangneung-bound lanes of the Yeongdong Expressway.

All occupants of the vehicles managed to evacuate safely before the fire intensified. Firefighters faced difficulties entering the tunnel initially due to the heavy smoke, necessitating the deployment of 진압 대원 (suppression team members) directly into the tunnel to fight the blaze.