[Itaewon Tragedy] Police Confirm Identities of 150 out of 153 Deceased... Notified Families

Police "Verification Underway for Remaining 3 Individuals"
Number of Injured Also Rises to 103 Compared to Previous Count

On the 30th, ahead of Halloween, large-scale crushing disaster occurred in the Itaewon area. Near the site of the Itaewon crushing accident in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, flowers and alcohol brought by citizens are placed./Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The death toll from the crush accident that occurred on the night of the 29th in Itaewon, where tens of thousands of people gathered, has risen to 153, with the identities of 150 confirmed.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the police, as of 4:30 PM that day, the number of deaths in the Itaewon tragedy increased by 2 to 153. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has confirmed the identities of 150 of the deceased and is in the process of notifying their families. A police official explained, "We are also conducting identification work for the remaining 3 whose identities have not yet been confirmed."

The number of injured is also increasing. According to the Central Disaster Headquarters, there are 24 seriously injured and 79 with minor injuries, totaling 103. Compared to previous counts, the number of injured increased by 21, including 5 seriously injured.

This accident has been recorded as the largest scale of casualties in South Korea since the Sewol ferry disaster. The death toll surged from 59 at 2 AM, to 149 at 6 AM, then to 151 by 11 AM, and 153 by 4:30 PM. Fire authorities believe there is a high possibility of additional deaths among the seriously injured.

The deceased have been placed in 42 hospitals and funeral homes in the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas, including Ilsan Dongguk University Hospital, Pyeongtaek Jeil Funeral Hall, Ewha Mokdong Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital, Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, Boramae Hospital, Samyook Seoul Hospital, Seongnam Central Hospital, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, and Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. The injured are receiving treatment at 38 hospitals, including Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital.

Fire authorities received reports starting around 10:15 PM the previous day of people experiencing breathing difficulties due to being crushed near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon. The tragedy occurred as people fell and became entangled in a narrow, sloped alley. Immediately after the accident, dozens of people collapsed on the road in front of the Hamilton Hotel and received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The government designated a national mourning period from the 30th to November 5th and declared Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the tragedy occurred, a special disaster area. Seoul City will operate a joint memorial altar at Seoul Plaza starting on the 31st, and Yongsan-gu will operate one at Itaewon Plaza.

The police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. They have secured a large amount of CCTV footage installed in the alley behind the Hamilton Hotel and videos of the scene at the time of the accident posted on social media to reconstruct the situation and confirm the circumstances of the accident.

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