SEOUL, Nov 1 (Reuters) – South Korea acted on Tuesday to calm public outrage over a Halloween party that killed more than 150 people, most of them young, by promising a swift and intensive investigation and calling for tough new security measures to avoid similar disasters
The death toll from the crush at a massive Halloween street party on Saturday rose to 156 with 151 injured, 29 of whom were in a serious condition. Among the dead were at least 26 citizens from 14 countries.
Tens of thousands of revelers – many in their teens and twenties and dressed in costumes – had crowded the narrow streets and alleys of the popular Itaewon district for the first virtually unrestricted Halloween parties in three years.
The country’s security chief, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, apologized on Tuesday, promising to find out the cause of the incident and prevent similar cases from happening again.
“As the minister overseeing public safety, I express my sincere apologies for the incident,” Lee said, adding that the government had “an unlimited responsibility for the safety of our people” as he addressed a parliamentary session televised live.
He has come under heavy public criticism after saying that deploying more police would not have prevented the disaster.
[1/7] A police officer stands guard at the exit of a subway station as people gather to pay their respects after a crowd crush during Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea, on November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also tearfully apologized during a media conference and said the city’s government would make all administrative resources available “until every citizen can return to their normal lives.” .
National Police Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun acknowledged earlier Tuesday that crowd control at the scene was “inadequate,” noting that police had received several reports warning of possible accidents on the night of disaster
“The police will quickly and rigorously conduct intensive inspections and investigations in all aspects without exception to explain the truth of this accident,” Yoon said at a news conference.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the ongoing investigation will cover whether the on-site responses of government agencies were adequate. He pointed to inadequate institutional measures for crowd management as the cause of the deadly surge.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a week of national mourning, saying the country has suffered too many security disasters. He said the best responses were criticism, including better crowd control.
“We should come up with concrete security measures to manage the crowds, not only in these streets where this massive disaster took place, but in other places like stadiums and concert halls where large crowds gather,” he told a cabinet meeting. .
All the victims have been identified and memorial altars have been set up at Seoul City Hall and Itaewon District, where citizens paid their respects.
Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi and Hyonhee Shin; Written by Jack Kim; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Jacqueline Wong
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