South Korean police accuse deadly Halloween crush of lack of preparation and poor response

[ad_1]

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean police said on Friday a lack of preparation and an inadequate response were the main causes of the deadly Halloween crash in Seoul last year, closing a month-long investigation into the tragedy that killed 159 people.

The annual festivities in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon turned deadly on October 29 after tens of thousands of young revelers packed into narrow alleys to celebrate the first curb-free COVID Halloween in three years.

Authorities, including police, failed to devise safety measures even though dense crowds made a crash likely, and failed to take appropriate action after cries for help started coming in, Sohn said. Je-han, who led the investigation.

Rescue officials and police gather in the Itaewon district of Seoul on October 30, 2022, after the Halloween crush. AFP via Getty Images Medical staff carry a victim of a Halloween crush on a stretcher in Seoul’s Itaewon district on October 30, 2022. AFP via Getty Images

Advertising

A street in Itaewon district is pictured full of people ahead of the deadly stampede in Seoul, South Korea October 30, 2022. REUTERS

Advertising

“The misjudgment of the situation, the delay in sharing information and the lack of cooperation between relevant agencies have accumulated to cause many casualties,” Sohn told reporters.

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

People visit the site of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities in Seoul. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett Mourners take part in a candlelight vigil to commemorate the 156 people killed in the October 29 Halloween mob on the tourist island of Jeju on November 5, 2022. AFP via Getty Images

Advertising

Bereaved families and opposition lawmakers criticized the police investigation for failing to hold senior officials accountable.

“We have so many unanswered questions,” Lee Jong-chul, leader of a group representing bereaved families, told reporters upon arriving at the prosecutor’s office in Seoul. “We came here to make a victim impact statement, expecting a better and broader investigation.”

[ad_2]