[Itaewon Disaster] Missing Person Reports Accepted Here... Seoul City Operates 20 Contact Numbers

Also Accepted via 120 Dasan Call Center... In-Person Registration on the 3rd Floor of Hannam-dong Community Center

On the 30th, citizens are registering missing persons related to the Itaewon Halloween casualties at the Hannam-dong Community Center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is receiving reports of missing persons related to the crush disaster that occurred on the 30th in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Seoul is accepting reports through 20 phone numbers including 02-2199-8660, 02-2199-8664~8678, 02-2199-5165~5168, and the 120 Dasan Call Center. In-person reports are being accepted on the 3rd floor of Hannam-dong Community Center (1 Daesagwan-ro 5-gil, Yongsan-gu).

Reports of missing persons are also increasing. At Hannam-dong Community Center, 355 reports had been received by 8:40 AM via visits and phone calls, and the number is known to be rising sharply. Seoul has deployed about 60 personnel in charge of guiding bereaved families at 50 hospitals to support the families of the deceased with funeral procedures, and plans to gradually expand this deployment to all hospitals. Additionally, for deceased residents from other local governments, Seoul will notify the respective local governments to help ensure support is provided according to the wishes of the bereaved families.

The casualties from the crush disaster in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul are increasing. As of 9 AM on the 30th, a total of 233 casualties have been reported, including 151 deaths. This is an increase from the 149 deaths reported at 4 AM. The gender breakdown of the deceased is 54 males and 97 females.

The number of injured also reached 82. Among the injured, 19 are seriously injured and 63 have minor injuries. The fire authorities anticipate that the death toll may rise further. Most victims were in their teens and twenties. The number of foreign nationals among the deceased increased from the initial 2 to 19. These individuals were initially counted among Korean nationals but were later reclassified as Iranian, Uzbek, Chinese, and Norwegian nationals after verification.

On the afternoon of the 29th, crowds gathered in the Itaewon-dong area of Yongsan-gu, Seoul, for Halloween, resulting in an accident. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The bodies of the 151 deceased have been distributed and placed in 39 hospitals in the metropolitan area, including Gangnam Severance Hospital and Seoul National University Hospital. Currently, missing person reports are being accepted at the Hannam-dong Community Center in Seoul. Previously, injured patients, including those who experienced cardiac arrest, were transported to and treated at 20 nearby hospitals such as Soonchunhyang University Hospital and the National Medical Center.

Meanwhile, the Fire and Disaster Headquarters Chief is directing rescue operations, and President Yoon Suk-yeol, along with the Minister of the Interior and Safety and the Minister of Health and Welfare, are inspecting the scene. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, upon hearing the news of the disaster, has suspended his European business trip and is returning to Seoul urgently.

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