Yoon Chairs Emergency Situation Review Meeting on 'Itaewon Accident'... "Traffic Control for Patient Evacuation" (Comprehensive Report 2)

President Yoon Issues Two Urgent Directives Before Meeting, Including Dispatch of Rapid Rescue and Emergency Medical Teams

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 30th, President Yoon Suk-yeol chaired an emergency situation briefing meeting related to the Itaewon Halloween accident and ordered traffic control for patient transport.

President Yoon came out to the Yongsan Presidential Office Crisis Management Center on the same day to chair the emergency situation briefing meeting regarding the Itaewon Halloween accident in Seoul and gave such instructions, according to Lee Jae-myung, deputy spokesperson of the presidential office. The meeting was attended by Chief of Staff Kim Dae-gi, Senior Secretary for Public Relations Kim Eun-hye, and Director of the National Situation Room Han Oh-seop.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Park Min-soo, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Kwang-ho, Seoul Fire Department Chief Choi Tae-young, Director of Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters Kim Sung-ho, and Director of 119 Response Bureau of the National Fire Agency Lee Il were connected via video conference to review the current situation and measures.

At the meeting, President Yoon emphasized, "The top priority now is patient transport and relief, and the prompt transfer and treatment of affected citizens to medical institutions," and then ordered, "Secure ambulance routes and immediately implement necessary measures such as traffic control for this purpose."

He repeatedly stressed, "Thoroughly control all vehicles and personnel except for the purpose of patient transport and treatment."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon issued two emergency orders on the 29th and 30th regarding the Itaewon accident.

First, in the first emergency order, President Yoon said, "Under the leadership of Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, all related ministries and agencies should make every effort to ensure that rapid first aid and treatment are provided to the affected citizens," and added, "The Police Agency and local governments should promptly conduct safety inspections and safety measures at event sites to ensure that Halloween events held nationwide proceed in an orderly manner."

The second emergency order was a directive to the Ministry of Health and Welfare to dispatch an emergency medical team (DMAT) and secure emergency beds at university hospitals.

Given the severity of casualties, it is believed that the two emergency orders were quickly issued and an emergency situation briefing meeting was chaired at the Yongsan Presidential Office due to the urgent need for medical teams and bed availability.

Prime Minister Han also ordered minimizing casualties the previous night. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Han said, "The Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Fire Chief, and the Police Commissioner should promptly assess the damage caused by this accident and do their best to minimize casualties," and issued an emergency order, "Related agencies should take thorough safety measures at the site and ensure the safety of rescue workers to prevent additional damage."

He added, "The Police Commissioner, Seoul Mayor, and Yongsan District Mayor should thoroughly investigate the causes and management issues of this accident and take related measures to prevent similar accidents."

According to the fire authorities, as of 11:30 p.m. the previous day, dozens of people near the Hamilton Hotel in the center of Itaewon were in cardiac arrest and receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The number of patients in cardiac arrest is currently known to be about 50.

As of 1 a.m. on the 30th, the fire authorities performed CPR on dozens of people in cardiac arrest and transported them to nearby hospitals.

The authorities estimate that there are about 50 cardiac arrest patients and about 100 casualties including the injured, but the exact casualty status has not been confirmed.

As of the same time, a total of 21 cardiac arrest patients were transported to emergency rooms of nearby hospitals, most of whom were women in their 20s. Among them, one was a teenage girl.

They were transported to Soonchunhyang University Hospital, National Medical Center, Ewha Mokdong Hospital, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, and Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital.

Disaster medical support teams from Seoul National University Hospital, Kangdong Kyunghee University Hospital, and Hanyang University Hospital also arrived at the scene to rescue the injured. In addition, a temporary emergency medical center was set up near Itaewon Station on Hangang-ro to treat the injured.

Parties were held in various places around Itaewon on the night of the weekend before Halloween, and it is presumed that the accident occurred as crowds gathered in a narrow downhill alley near the Hamilton Hotel.

The fire authorities issued a Level 1 response at 10:38 p.m. on the same day, then escalated it to Level 3 at 11:50 p.m., deploying a large number of fire trucks including 142 vehicles, rescue personnel, and equipment. At the scene, the head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters is directing the rescue, and the Minister of the Interior and Safety also arrived to assess the situation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.