[Itaewon Tragedy] "Where Can We Find Them?"... Anxious Friends Visit Gymnasium Where the Deceased Are Laid to Rest [On Site]

Wonyoro Multipurpose Indoor Gymnasium, Missing Persons' Families and Relatives Gather
"No One Tells Us Where to Go," Frustration Erupts

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] "My daughter has not been reachable since last night. My daughter's friend was seriously injured but fortunately regained consciousness. However, we still cannot contact my daughter."

In front of the 'Wonryo Multipurpose Indoor Gymnasium' in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where 46 victims of the Itaewon crowd crush disaster were temporarily placed, citizens gathered to confirm the whereabouts of their family and relatives.

When visiting the gymnasium around 3:30 a.m. on the 30th, only police, firefighters, and officials were allowed entry. Access to the gymnasium is strictly controlled. The entrance was blocked and IDs were checked, with the general public prohibited from entering. Even government officials who are not directly involved in identification are not allowed inside and must wait at the entrance. Families of the missing are also not permitted entry until the identification of the deceased is completed.

Police officers and public officials controlling the Seoul Yongsan-gu Wonhyo-ro Multipurpose Gymnasium, where the victims of the Itaewon Halloween fatal accident on the 30th are laid to rest. Photo by Ki Hyoho

A woman met around 3:50 a.m. was stopped by police while trying to enter the gymnasium to confirm the identity of a relative. She said, "I learned through the news that the bodies were placed in the gymnasium," and expressed frustration, saying, "No one is telling us where to go."

A middle-aged couple met around 4:10 a.m. said, "Our son went to Itaewon with a friend but is missing. He has his jacket and phone, but we cannot find him or know where he is, so we are searching everywhere."

Another man said, "I tracked my friend's phone location, and it is currently near here, so we are waiting for the situation."

There was also a young man sitting on the ground, staring at the gymnasium and shedding tears endlessly, comforted by a friend. Some expressed frustration that they could not reach the Seoul Dasan Call Center to report missing persons, hoping to hear news about their family.

Police forensic team entering the Seoul Yongsan-gu Wonhyo-ro Multipurpose Gymnasium where the victims of the Itaewon Halloween accident on the 30th are laid to rest. Photo by Ki Ho-gyo kihoyeyo@

Some citizens were seen embracing and weeping together as the number of confirmed deaths rapidly increased every hour.

As the dawn deepened and temperatures dropped, citizens waiting for their family and relatives anxiously awaited identification, forgetting the cold.

A police official at the scene said, "We are currently focusing on identification, but we do not know when it will be completed."

The fire department began sequentially transporting identified bodies to Soonchunhyang University Hospital starting around 5:27 a.m. that day.

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