Seoul subways add WCs after deadly bathroom break

The Seoul subway authority will install toilets in drivers' compartments after one of its engineers plunged to his death, apparently relieving himself from a train that was in motion.

The Seoul Metro plans to provide nearly 400 toilets from this month in drivers' cabs and increase the number of staff bathrooms at stations, a spokesman said.

"A major concern is the smell, said Kim Kyung-mo.



The incident that prompted the move took place in December when a driver apparently suffering from diarrhoea leaned out of his compartment and fell on the tracks. He was hit by another train, local media reported.

The toilets consist of a collapsible seat that stands a few centimetres off the ground and a receptacle. The device can be stored in a compartment about the size of a thick briefcase.

"Seoul Metro believes this step will help our staff better focus on transporting our citizens safely," it said in a news release.