(LEAD) 2 stabbing rampage victims at risk of brain death: authorities

▲ Officials control access to a department store in Bundang, south of Seoul, on Aug. 3, 2023, after a stabbing rampage left 14 wounded. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) stabbing rampage-victims

(LEAD) 2 stabbing rampage victims at risk of brain death: authorities

(ATTN: UPDATES with details of victims)

SEONGNAM, South Korea, Aug. 4 (Yonhap) -- Two of the 14 victims wounded in the stabbing rampage at a department store in Bundang, south of Seoul, are in critical condition and could become brain dead, rescue authorities said Friday.

On Thursday evening, the culprit, known by his family name Choi, rammed a vehicle into pedestrians outside of a department store and then attacked shoppers with a knife inside the store, which is connected to the nearby Seohyeon Station and draws many commuters and shoppers.

The attack left 14 people wounded, 12 of them seriously. Of the total, nine were wounded in the stabbing attack and five in the car crash. Police quickly apprehended the suspect, and a rapid drug test conducted on him was negative.

According to fire authorities, two of those wounded were being treated at an intensive care unit as of 6 a.m. Friday and were in critical condition, which could lead to brain death. A woman in her 20s was taken to a hospital in an unconscious state, and another woman in her 60s was in a state of cardiac arrest after the car crash, with both at risk of brain damage, according to officials.

Among the three others hurt from the car crash, two sustained severe injuries in the knee and head, respectively, while another victim received treatment on site with a slight wound.

The nine stabbed victims suffered knife wounds in the abdomen, side and back, but three of them are no longer in life-threatening conditions after going through surgery. Conditions of five others were not immediately known. One person was treated with a minor lacerated wound in the elbow.

Police plan to conduct another round of questioning of Choi on Friday to determine the exact motive of his crime and seek an arrest warrant for him. Authorities will also look into the history of his mental illness and treatment.

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