South Korea Mourns Over ‘Devastating' Halloween Crowd Surge That Killed 154 In Seoul
South Korean police are investigating the death of President Yun Suk-yeol and tens of thousands of others at a Halloween celebration in Seoul on Monday. victims. A special place for grief.
Saturday's accident happened on a steep, narrow street in Seoul's Itaewon district, a popular nightlife district where passers-by and survivors remember the "infernal" chaos as dominoes tumbled over each other. The entire Etawan area was filled with slow-moving vehicles and partygoers in Halloween costumes, which prevented rescuers and ambulances from reaching the streets in time, he said.
The police have established a 475 task force to investigate the accident.
Officials have received videos from around 50 CCTV cameras in the area and are analyzing videos posted on social media. Senior police official Nam Joo-jun told reporters on Monday that they have interviewed more than 40 witnesses and survivors so far.
Other police officials said they were trying to find out when and where the mafia insurgency started and how it unfolded. On Monday, a team of police and forensic experts from the government conducted a search in Itawan district, he said.
"The government is thoroughly investigating the cause of the accident and will do everything possible to make necessary improvements to the system to prevent such accidents from happening again," Prime Minister Han Dak-soo said at the start of the cabinet meeting. He said disaster. .
Two Americans killed more than 150 people and injured more than 130 in clashes at a Halloween festival in Seoul's Itaewon district on Saturday.
Known for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, Eaton is the country's favorite destination for Halloween-themed events and parties, and has grown in popularity among South Korean youth in recent years. Since the outbreak began, an estimated 100,000 people have gathered around the country for the biggest Halloween celebration.
Among the dead were 26 foreigners.
The university said in a statement that among the Americans killed was Anne Jesek, a nursing student at Northern Kentucky University who was studying abroad in South Korea. The other is Stephen Blassey (20), whose father, Steve Blassey, asked for information about his son on Twitter.
Unable to hear from her daughter, Blaise reached out for information and asked, "If anyone has news, please share." After many responses offering help and support, he tweeted: "Just received confirmation of our son's passing," adding, "Thank you for spreading the love. We need time to grieve.
Australian victim Grace Reicher, a film production assistant in Sydney, has been described as "the life of our party" by her family. "We miss our beautiful angel Grace, who lit up the room with her contagious smile," her family said in a statement.
According to the Japanese media, among the dead is Mi Tomikawa, a Japanese who studied Korea in Seoul. Her father, Ayumu Tomikawa, told Japan's public broadcaster NH that his daughter "loves South Korea very much and enjoys her life there."
There are no official Halloween festival organizers in Itaewon. On Monday, South Korean police said they do not have a specific procedure for dealing with issues such as overcrowding during events where organizers are absent.
Police said they deployed 137 officers to 34 to 90 Halloween celebrations in 2017, 2018 and 2019 before the outbreak.
Citing these numbers, the police rejected the idea that the district police station was inadequate as it would provide more security to Leon, who had earlier moved the president's office to a nearby location in Itawon. Police security for the chiefs has been handled by two special police units unrelated to Yongsan Police Station, which has jurisdiction over Itaewon, he said.
Some witnesses said the practice occurred when people at the top of the ramp pushed others down. The local media also questioned the lack of preparation for the large crowd in Itawan.
When asked about these possibilities, police officer Nam said that the investigation will investigate all the causes of the accident.
On Monday morning, the government announced that it had identified 153 of the 154 bodies and informed their relatives. Almost two-thirds of the dead - 98 - are women. 149 others were injured. Officials said 33 of the injured were in critical condition, and the death toll could rise.
According to the Ministry of Interior, more than 80% of the dead are in their twenties and thirties, and 11 of them are teenagers.
The foreign victims included five from Iran, four from China, four from Russia, two from the US, two from Japan and one each from Australia, Norway, France, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka. . According to the minister.
When the identification of the dead was completed, the families of the dead had to start cremating their relatives. The officials said that the government will provide the necessary support for the funeral.
President Yun declared a week of national mourning on Sunday and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast from government buildings and offices.
The government opened special memorials in Seoul and other major cities on Monday. Hundreds of thousands of people, including Yun and other high-ranking officials, visited these places, wore white flowers and bowed deeply. Many placed chrysanthemums, bottles of Korean soju, candles and snacks near the Itaewon subway station and posted many condolences.
After the disaster, many hotels, stores, amusement parks and other businesses canceled Halloween events.
In the year It is the deadliest disaster in South Korea since 2014, when 304 people, mostly high school students, died in a boat accident.
Vulnerable to lax safety regulations and regulatory failures. This is partly due to excessive and unsafe loading and the unpreparedness of the staff to deal with emergencies. Saturday's death could lead to a public review of what state officials have done to improve public safety standards in the wake of the boating disaster.
