Trapped on a steep 3.2 meter wide slope in Itaewon, he lost consciousness on his feet: Politics and Society: The Hankyoreh Japan

Foreign Minister Lee Sang-min “ There is no particular turnout of people ”

At 18:00 on the 30th, 153 people were confirmed dead and 133 injured in the worst crushing accident that occurred in Itaewon, Seoul on the night of the 29th. As the weekend approached, people who went out to enjoy Halloween (31st ) as soon as possible were attacked on a narrow and steep slope, causing a huge disaster. Many of the victims were in their 20s. The crushing fatalities, which usually occur in confined spaces with entrances and exits such as religious events and sports competitions, occurred in an open space in central Seoul, where more than 100,000 people were expected to gather. that it is an administrative disaster that has not taken measures.

According to the testimony of survivors and witnesses of the Itaewon disaster, as well as announcements from firefighters and police, the crushing incident occurred around 10:15 pm on the 29th at a width of 3.2 meters next to the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon-dong, on a slope of 40 meters in length. A wave of people descending from Club Alley behind the Hamilton Hotel and a wave of people coming from the street near Exit 1 of Itaewon station on subway line 6 in front of the hotel met in a narrow alley and got stuck. “It fell forward like a domino,” the survivors said. Survivor Lee Chan-gyu, 19, said: “The narrow alley was full of people. As we did, one or two of us fell. People who were crushed were saying, ‘Come back! Come back!’ I yelled at him but he didn’t go behind me. I thought I was going to die. ” “When someone said there was a celebrity at the club, suddenly everyone screamed and fell at the Hamilton Hotel,” said Madison Frost, 23.

At around 10:17 pm, two minutes after the incident was reported, Yongsan fire brigade rescue teams were dispatched, but tens of thousands of people were filling the narrow alleys and approaching the scene was not easy. Eyewitnesses said rescuers and civilians tried to free the trapped people, but they were entangled and difficult to separate. This situation continued for over an hour. Video footage of the incident shows hundreds of people trapped in the middle of a 38 pyeong alley blocked by buildings on both sides, pushing each other horizontally with tremendous pressure.As a result, people who could not breathe they started to lose consciousness while standing. Forty-five people were reported dead at the crash site. The casualties were so high that it was not until after 4:00 on the 30th that all the victims and injured could be transferred to a nearby hospital. Of the 153 dead, 97 were women and 20 were foreigners. Thirteen have not yet been identified. Police have secured footage from CCTV cameras installed in nearby buildings, including the Hamilton Hotel, and are investigating the cause of the incident.

Local governments and the police were blamed for the tragedy because they neglected basic security measures. Tens of thousands of citizens gathered in Itaewon on Friday 28, welcoming Halloween without masks for the first time in three years due to the complete cancellation of social distancing. More people were expected to gather on the 29th public holiday, but the local government and police did not take additional measures, such as increasing the number of security personnel. Police placed only 137 people under the pretext of preparing for drug and sexual crimes cases, and the Yongsan District Office did not develop a safety management plan or call for road restrictions. In a briefing at the government building in Seoul, Public Administration and Security Minister Lee Sang-min said: “Compared to before, there weren’t many people gathered to worry about it. It’s not a problem that can be solved. deploying the police and firefighters in advance. I didn’t do that, “he said.

President Yoon Seok-yeol said that morning in a public statement at the Yongsan presidential office: “In the middle of Seoul, a tragedy and a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened” and said the cause of the accident would be been fully investigated.express. President Yoon has designated the period until the 5th of next month as the national mourning period. In addition, Yongsan-gu has been designated as a special disaster area. After an emergency response meeting at the government building in Seoul, Prime Minister Han Duk-soo said, “We will provide all necessary support, including financial support to grieving families of the dead and injured.” Ruling and opposition parties held supreme emergency committees on the same day to discuss countermeasures and completely canceled all party-level political programs and events. The government, local governments and major companies have also canceled scheduled Halloween festivals, concerts and events.

By Jang Na-rae and Kim Min-a, reporters (contact [email protected])