[Itaewon Tragedy] Military: "3 Soldiers and Civilian Employees Dead, 4 Injured"

Military "Dispatched Liaison Officers to Police... Maintaining Immediate Response Posture"

On the 30th, the national mourning period was declared due to the Itaewon tragedy, and flags at half-mast were raised at the Government Seoul Office in Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul. President Yoon Seok-yeol ordered that from today, the period until the Itaewon tragedy recovery is concluded be designated as the national mourning period, and instructed all government departments and public offices to immediately raise flags at half-mast. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] It has been confirmed that military personnel were among the victims of the crush disaster that occurred in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

According to military authorities on the 30th, as of 3 p.m. that day, the provisional count related to this accident includes 3 deaths and 4 injuries among soldiers and military civilians. The injured are understood to be receiving inpatient treatment at military and civilian hospitals.

Immediately after the disaster occurred, the military authorities judged that some soldiers and military civilians who were on leave or overnight leave might have been at the accident site, and have been conducting efforts to locate these individuals through relevant authorities and affiliated units.

In addition, the military authorities plan to actively provide support in response to this national tragedy. Earlier that day, about 20 soldiers from the Army Capital Defense Command were dispatched to the accident site, which was extremely chaotic due to vehicles and crowds, and were engaged in maintaining order. The Capital Defense Command withdrew the troops after the situation stabilized and activated communication channels by dispatching liaison officers to the police for efficient accident handling.

A Ministry of National Defense official explained, "Immediately after receiving the initial report, the military has maintained a close cooperative system with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters and related agencies, and about 150 troops from the Capital Defense Command are on standby to support requests from local governments and fire authorities. Medical support is also prepared, centered on the Armed Forces Capital Hospital and Seoul District Hospital."

Meanwhile, according to fire authorities, the crush disaster that occurred near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the night of the 29th, has resulted in a provisional total of 233 casualties. As of the morning of that day, there were 151 deaths and 82 injuries, who are being distributed and placed in hospitals and funeral homes in the metropolitan area.

Among the deceased, 19 were foreigners, with nationalities confirmed as Iran, Uzbekistan, Norway, etc. There were no confirmed deaths of U.S. or Japanese nationals.

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

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