[Itaewon Tragedy] Death Toll Rises to 154... All Identities Confirmed Except One

Police: "One More Woman Died on the Afternoon of the 30th"
Foreign Deaths Counted as 26 from 14 Countries

On the 30th, ahead of Halloween, flowers were placed in the Itaewon area of Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the victims of the large-scale crush disaster that occurred in the Itaewon district. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The death toll from the crush accident that occurred as tens of thousands of people gathered in Itaewon ahead of Halloween Day has risen to 154. The police announced on the 30th afternoon that one more woman had died.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, as of 8:50 p.m. that day, the number of deaths from the Itaewon disaster increased by one to 154. There are 56 male deaths and 98 female deaths. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has confirmed the identities of 153 of the deceased and is in the process of notifying their families.

Also, the number of foreign nationals who died was confirmed to be 26 from 14 countries, contrary to earlier reports. A police official explained, "We are also conducting identification work for one person whose identity has not yet been confirmed."

This accident has been recorded as the largest scale of casualties in South Korea since the Sewol ferry disaster. The death toll surged to 59 at 2 a.m., 149 at 6 a.m., and continued to rise to 151 by 11 a.m., 153 by 4:30 p.m., and 154 by 8:50 p.m. The fire authorities believe there is a high possibility of additional deaths among the critically injured.

The deceased were placed at 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.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The fire authorities received reports around 10:15 p.m. the previous day of people experiencing breathing difficulties due to being crushed near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon. The disaster occurred as people fell and became entangled in a narrow and sloping 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 the period from the 30th to November 5th as a national mourning period and declared Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the disaster occurred, a special disaster area. From the 31st, Seoul City will operate a joint memorial altar at Seoul Plaza, 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 number of closed-circuit television (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.