Eight S Korean gov't officials killed in car accident

Eight South Korean government officials, including seven from the agriculture ministry, were confirmed dead in a car accident in the southern part of the country after attending a workshop Friday night, the government said on Saturday.

According to the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the crash happened at around 11:00 p.m. Friday in the southern city of Taean, about 150 km from Seoul, as the van that were carrying all eight officials ran into a beachside rock.

"We deeply regret the death of our officials and will do our best to complete the investigation with no flaws," the ministry said in a statement.

The officials were part of a group that attended workshops involving sight visits and policy research projects in Taean, the ministry added.

The police said that they were still investigating the exact cause of the crash, as the driver might have lost sight of the rock as heavy fog caused dangerous road conditions Friday night or it could be related to drunk driving.

Source: Xinhua