[Itaewon Disaster] Suvangsa Deployed for Order Maintenance... Military Hospital Also 'On Standby' for Support

Subangsa, Over 150 Personnel on Standby
Two Military Hospitals Maintain 'Support Posture'

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 Jang Hee-jun] The military authorities have also stepped in to assist in managing the crush disaster that occurred in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 30th, about 20 soldiers from the Army Capital Defense Command were dispatched to the accident site, which was in extreme chaos due to vehicles and crowds, early that morning and were assigned to maintain order. The Capital Defense Command withdrew its troops after the situation stabilized and is keeping about 150 soldiers on standby in case the police request additional support.

Additionally, two military hospitals, the Armed Forces Capital Hospital and the Armed Forces Seoul District Hospital, are maintaining a support posture to carry out tasks related to treating the injured and managing casualties.

The military authorities are maintaining a cooperative system with the Yongsan Fire Station and others for swift accident management and efficient support, while also activating communication channels by dispatching liaison officers to the police.

Earlier, the death toll from the crush disaster that occurred near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the night of the 29th was tentatively counted at 151 as of the morning of the 30th. There were 82 injured, making a total of 233 casualties. The deceased and injured were distributed across 59 hospitals in the metropolitan area.

The number of deaths was initially identified as 59 around 2 a.m. that day, but as many of the injured transported to hospitals passed away, the number surged to 149 by 6 a.m. Subsequently, two critically injured patients died during treatment, raising the death toll to 151. Among them, 19 were foreigners.

The government has designated the period from that day until midnight on the 5th of next month as a national mourning period. During this time, condolences will be expressed for the deceased, and a joint memorial altar will be set up in downtown Seoul. Furthermore, Yongsan-gu will be declared a special disaster area, and the government plans to provide necessary support such as healing funds for bereaved families and the injured.

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