Taxi hits utility pole in Seoul, leaving driver and passenger in cardiac arrest

A taxi crashed into a utility pole in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, leaving the driver in his 70s and a passenger in his 40s in cardiac arrest. The collision also knocked out power to the surrounding area.

According to police and fire department authorities, the crash occurred at around 4:22 a.m. Saturday in Susaek-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, when a taxi carrying a passenger struck a utility pole.

Both the driver, a man in his 70s, and the passenger, a man in his 40s, were found in cardiac arrest at the scene and were immediately taken to hospital. No pedestrians were reported injured.

The collision caused a power outage affecting 326 households in the Susaek-dong area near the crash site. Eunpyeong-gu warned residents that repairs were expected to take "a long time — 10 hours or more" and urged them to unplug electrical devices and take precautions against accidents.

Police are investigating the exact cause and circumstances of the crash.