South Korean highway fire kills 5

Seoul, South Korea –

A cargo truck collided with a bus on a highway near the South Korean capital Seoul on Thursday, sparking a fire that killed at least five people and injured 37 others, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collision and fire, or what cargo the truck was carrying.

The National Fire Agency said in a statement that three of the injured were in serious condition while 34 others had minor injuries. Firefighters said the collision happened inside a noise tunnel on the freeway.

Previous television footage showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the tunnel, but firefighters later said they had nearly extinguished the blaze.

The public affairs office of the fire department could not immediately confirm the origin of the five dead.