Special Investigation Unit: "Golden time is 45 minutes"... Fire Command Team Leader's Response Judged Inappropriate

On the 29th of last month, 119 rescue workers dispatched to the Itaewon disaster site are conducting victim rescue operations. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Police Agency’s Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation HQ) has tentatively determined that the 'golden time' to reduce casualties in the Itaewon disaster was about 45 minutes after the accident occurred.

Kim Dong-wook, spokesperson for the Special Investigation HQ, said on the 23rd at the Mapo Police Station in Seoul, in response to a question about the golden time for this accident, "I cannot say exactly, but around 11 p.m.," adding, "If appropriate rescue measures had been taken sufficiently after the accident, it would have been a time when death could have been prevented."

On the same day, the Special Investigation HQ booked Yongsan Fire Station Chief Choi Seong-beom and the on-site command team leader on charges of professional negligence causing death or injury. This was based on the judgment that there were problems with the on-site command team leader’s response. This is due to a record in the fire department radio communication on the day of the accident, where the on-site command team leader said at 11 p.m., "Currently, we are quickly helping fallen pedestrians from the rear to stand up and guiding them to a safe place, so the situation is expected to be resolved shortly."

Earlier, Chief Choi issued Fire Response Level 1 at 10:43 p.m., 28 minutes after the disaster occurred on the 29th of last month, by instructing the on-site command team leader. Chief Choi then declared command authority at 11:08 p.m. The Special Investigation HQ is considering the possibility that the on-site command team leader, who had been making judgments on-site and requesting support from nearby ambulance teams before Chief Choi’s declaration of command authority, may not have properly assessed the situation at that time.

The Special Investigation HQ plans to summon Chief Choi again on the 26th to confirm how he directed the scene after issuing Fire Response Level 2. The Special Investigation HQ is also investigating the possibility that the Yongsan Fire Station’s safety duty team did not guard the designated duty location in front of the Hamilton Hotel, based on the '2022 Halloween Day Fire Safety Measures' document prepared ahead of Halloween.

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