Some officials are taking responsibility for deadly crush, but may be too late to stop public outrage from boiling over
Chief of Korean National Police Agency Yoon Hee-geun saluting ahead of a virtual meeting with chiefs of provincial police agencies, Aug. 11, 2022. | Image: Korean National Police Agency, edited by Korea Pro
Tragedy struck Seoul’s international Itaewon district last Saturday as more than a hundred thousand people went out to celebrate Halloween. As crowds began to push and shove along a narrow, sloped alleyway, people began falling on top of each other. Many couldn’t breathe.
According to transcripts made public by the police, from 6:34 pm to 10:15 pm KST there were 11 emergency calls to the police from various people to report overcrowding and multiple injuries. The earliest phone call came four hours before people began dying.
Tragedy struck Seoul’s international Itaewon district last Saturday as more than a hundred thousand people went out to celebrate Halloween. As crowds began to push and shove along a narrow, sloped alleyway, people began falling on top of each other. Many couldn’t breathe.
According to transcripts made public by the police, from 6:34 pm to 10:15 pm KST there were 11 emergency calls to the police from various people to report overcrowding and multiple injuries. The earliest phone call came four hours before people began dying.
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