A subway maintenance worker died after being hit by an incoming train, police said Wednesday.

The accident occurred at around midnight Monday at Noryangjin Station in central Seoul. The 57-year-old employee of Korea Railroad, surnamed Kim, was walking on the railroad to put up a signboard notifying that maintenance work was scheduled to take place from midnight to 4 a.m. 


Six others were working at the site, but they were not hurt.

Kim was rushed to a nearby hospital, but died shortly afterward. Police are investigating whether safety guidelines were observed.

It was the fifth fatal accident of its kind to occur since 2013.

Last year, a 19-year-old repairman was crushed to death by an incoming subway train while working alone on a malfunctioning safety door, sparking calls for better safety measures for subway maintenance workers.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)