South Korea vows probe into deadly Halloween crush
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo promised a thorough investigation into the weekend Halloween crush that killed more than 150 people in the capital and plunged the country into a week of mourning on Monday.
Officials said the death toll had risen to 154 overnight, with 149 injured, 33 of whom were in critical condition. Among the dead were citizens from at least two dozen countries.
Tens of thousands of revellers crammed into Seoul’s popular Itaewon district’s narrow streets and alleyways on Saturday for the city’s first virtually unrestricted Halloween celebrations in three years. Many of the partygoers were in their teens or twenties and dressed up.
Witnesses said that chaos erupted when people poured into one particularly narrow and sloping alley, even though it was already packed.
People placed white chrysanthemums, drinks, and candles at a small makeshift altar off an exit of the Itaewon subway station, a few steps away from the site of the crush, on Monday morning.
“It makes no difference how or why they died. Those poor people, all of them my grandchildren’s age, died anyway,” said Jung Si-hoon, a church elder and retiree who placed an old wooden cross at the altar. “Is there anything else we should say?” We should pray for them and wish them a peaceful death.”
Shops and cafes in the area were closed, and police cordoned off the scene of the incident, which was littered.
Halloween events were cancelled at schools, kindergartens, and businesses across the country. Concerts by K-pop artists and government briefings were also cancelled.
“The government will conduct a thorough investigation into what caused this accident and will do everything possible to make necessary institutional changes so that such an accident does not occur again,” Han said at a meeting of government officials to discuss the disaster.
“Identification has been completed for all but one of the 154 deceased, and I believe it is time to move forward with follow-up measures such as funeral procedures,” Han said. “We will do our best to provide the necessary support by reflecting the bereaved families’ opinions as much as possible.”
People were spreading hate speech by blaming victims, spreading false information, and posting disturbing scenes of the incident online, according to Han. According to a National Police Agency official, six related cases are being investigated.
President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has declared a period of national mourning and designated Itaewon as a disaster zone, paid his respects to victims on Monday, according to his office.
South Korea promises an investigation into the deadly Halloween crush.
After more than two years of COVID-19 restrictions, Itaewon, a symbol of freewheeling nightlife in South Korea’s capital for decades, was starting to thrive, with trendy restaurants and shops replacing seedy establishments.
The disaster is the country’s deadliest since a ferry sinking in 2014 that killed 304 people, the majority of whom were high school students.
The sinking of the Sewol, as well as criticism of the official response, sent shockwaves throughout South Korea, prompting widespread soul-searching about the country’s safety measures, which are likely to be renewed in the aftermath of Saturday’s crush.
