An expressway pileup involving nine vehicles in the southern city of Jeongeup injured 13 people on Monday, three of them seriously, authorities said.

The accident started shortly after noon when a 22.5-ton truck crashed into a 1-ton truck that was ahead of it on a congested section of the northbound Honam Expressway in Jeongeup, 221 kilometers of Seoul.

The crash resulted in successive collisions between vehicles ahead of the 1-ton truck, leaving 13 people injured, three of them seriously.

Nobody is in life-threatening condition.

The accident left a section of the expressway strewn with damaged vehicles and debris, causing severe traffic congestion temporarily.

The driver of the 22.5-ton truck told the police that he was drowsy while driving at the time of the accident and has been booked for investigation.

Source: Yonhap News Agency