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South Korea
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Botched response blamed for deadly Seoul Halloween crush, 23 officials face charges

  • South Korea’s police concluded a months-long investigation into the tragedy that killed 159 people in the Itaewon nightlife district
  • The inquiry found authorities misjudged the situation and delayed sharing information, leading to large casualties

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An altar for the victims of the Halloween crowd crush near its site in Seoul’s Itaewon district. Photo: Kyodo
Reuters
South Korea’s police on Friday said a lack of preparations and an inadequate response were the main causes of the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, wrapping up a months-long investigation into the tragedy that killed 159 people.

The annual festivities in the popular nightlife area of Itaewon turned deadly on October 29 after tens of thousands of young revellers crowded into narrow alleyways to celebrate the first Halloween free of Covid curbs in three years.

Authorities, including the police, did not devise safety measures even though dense crowds made an accident likely, and did not take appropriate steps after calls for rescue started coming in, said Sohn Je-han, who led the investigation.

“Misjudgment of the situation, delay in sharing information and lack of cooperation among related agencies accumulated to cause large casualties,” Sohn told reporters.

The investigation team has referred 23 people, including the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to prosecutors.

Six of the officials referred on the most serious charges, including the former chief of police in the Yongsan district of Seoul, where the incident occurred, and the head of the district office, have been arrested. Another 17 were charged without detention, with one of the officials charged having died of an apparent suicide.
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