Nine people were killed when a car crashed into pedestrians near a busy intersection in central Seoul on Monday, officials said.

Four others were injured in the incident in front of city hall, but their wounds were not life-threatening, said Kim Chun-soo, a senior fire department official.

The driver of the car claimed that he lost control of it when it suddenly accelerated, local news media reported. Kim Seong-hak, a public safety official at the Jung-gu district in central Seoul, said the authorities could not immediately confirm the reports, adding that the police were investigating the driver.

He also said officials were investigating whether the driver was drunk or on drugs.

This is a developing story.