The
21-year-old singer, whose real name is Koh Eun Bi, passed away after the van
she was in lost control and crashed into a protective wall around 1:30am (local
time) on a freeway near Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
Fellow
group members RiSe and So Jung are in hospital, with RiSe in a critical
condition. Sojung was operated on for a bone fracture, while Ashley and Zuny
are being treated for shock.
The group’s
agency, Polaris Entertainment has offered an official statement with details of
the tragic accident:
“This is
Polaris Entertainment.
We are
letting you know the current situation concerning Ladies’ Code.
Last night,
after completing their schedule in Daegu, the vehicle carrying Ladies’ Code ran
into a problem of the rear wheel falling off while on the way back to Seoul, at
around 1:30 AM in Suwon. Due to the wheel coming off on the rainy road, the
vehicle spun several times before crashing into a guardrail. As a result,
member EunB grievously passed away.
Currently,
Rise is in critical condition and Sojung is receiving treatment for the
injuries she sustained. The other members who were also in the vehicle with the
manager and stylist have no serious injuries.
The members
will be transferred from Suwon to a hospital in Seoul today, but the location
of the wake has not yet been decided [for EunB].
Our company
employees are currently in an immense state of shock and are experiencing
unspeakable sadness at the moment.
We offer
our words of apology to the fans, as well as everyone who must have received a
great shock. We ask that a lot of people will pray with us for the members to
recover quickly.
We will
deliver further details as they are known. Thank you.”
Earlier
reports had stated that EunB, Sojung, and Rise were in the vehicle with the
manager and stylist. However, it is now being reported that the other two
members, Ashley and Zuny, were also aboard the same van, but have not sustained
major injuries.
While
Sojung appears to be in more stable condition now, it is being reported that
Rise is still undergoing surgery after receiving trauma to her head. She is
currently in the middle of a major procedure that has been ongoing for over
seven hours since around 2 AM (KST) on September 3. As the surgery is still
continuing, it is difficult to know the exact state of her condition at the
moment.
Update: RiSe is out of surgery but ‘under careful
observation’. She had emergency brain surgery following the crash.
Although
there are varying reports on the length of the surgery, from nine hours to 11,
local news sources are reporting that Rise is out of surgery and is under close
watch for any changes in her condition
at the intensive care unit (ICU).
Rise’s
family is currently on their way to Korea from Japan, according to a Polaris
Entertainment rep that spoke to Star Today.
Osen
reports that a rep from Polaris stated Rise’s surgery was suspended because her
blood pressure fell. She has been moved to the ICU and is under close watch.
The label
also confirmed details of EunB’s funeral, adding: ‘EunB’s remains are attended
to at Korea University Anam Hospital. Her funeral will be held on the 5th.’.
