At least five people have died in a traffic accident followed by a fire on a noise-protection elevated highway in South Korea.

Another 37 people were injured, three of them seriously, South Korean television stations and the national news agency Yonhap reported on Thursday, citing the fire department.

The seriously injured suffered burns and smoke inhalation.

TV footage showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the tunnel-like cover of the road in the south Seoul city of Gwacheon.

The rescue workers would have recovered the fatalities from the vehicles.

The fire reportedly started after a bus collided with a truck.

It was not immediately known how many people were in the two vehicles.

More than 40 vehicles were destroyed by the fire.

It could be deleted after more than two hours.