[Itaewon Disaster] 'Itaewon Crush Disaster' 146 Dead... Prosecution Forms Accident Response Headquarters

Head of Headquarters Hwang Byeong-ju, Chief of Criminal Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Ensures Thorough Autopsy and Cause Investigation
All On-Duty Prosecutors at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Emergency Standby... Preparing Identification and Autopsy Procedures

On the morning of the 30th, rescue workers are conducting rescue operations at the Halloween accident site in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] In relation to the massive crush disaster that occurred as a large crowd gathered at a festival held in the Itaewon area of Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ahead of Halloween Day, the prosecution has formed an accident response headquarters to respond.

On the 30th, the prosecution announced that it has established an accident response headquarters (headed by Hwang Byung-joo, Chief of the Criminal Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office) at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and will work closely with related agencies such as the police and the Fire Agency, centered on the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, which has jurisdiction over the accident site, to promptly verify identities, conduct autopsies, and thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident.

Immediately after the accident, Lee Won-seok, Prosecutor General, and heads of related departments (chief prosecutors) and managers (senior prosecutors) held an emergency meeting and decided to form the accident response headquarters.

Currently, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office has formed an emergency response team led by Chief Prosecutor Han Seok-ri immediately after the accident, with all prosecutors reporting to the office and maintaining contact with related agencies to respond swiftly.

The prosecution is preparing identity verification and autopsy procedures not only at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office but also with all on-duty prosecutors at the Seoul Eastern, Southern, and Northern District Prosecutors' Offices on emergency standby, as the deceased have been transported across Seoul.

According to the fire authorities, as of 4 a.m. on the day of the accident, there were a total of 296 casualties, including 146 deaths. Earlier, as of 2:40 a.m., there were 120 deaths and 100 injuries.

The bodies of the deceased are being placed at the Wonhyo-ro Multipurpose Gymnasium. Forty-six bodies of those who died at the scene were first transported there, and the bodies of those who were declared dead after being moved to hospitals are being placed there sequentially. Previously, injured patients, including those in cardiac arrest, were transported to 20 nearby hospitals such as Soonchunhyang University Hospital and the National Medical Center.

The accident is presumed to have occurred in an alley near Itaewon Station, to the left of the Hamilton Hotel, where citizens became entangled with each other. The fire authorities conducted three searches centered on the accident area but reported that no additional casualties or unusual findings were discovered. On that day, numerous parties were held throughout the Itaewon area ahead of Halloween Day, with the police estimating that more than 100,000 people gathered.

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