Police called about Seoul crush fears more than three hours before first deaths
Police in Seoul were called by panicked locals at least 10 times in the hours leading up to the Halloween crush that claimed more than 150 lives.
Police in Seoul were told the crowds in the Itaewon night-life hub were getting so dangerous it looked “chilling” more than three hours before the crush turned deadly.
And yet onlookers have said the police presence in the crowded historic district of South Korea’s capital city remained wholly inadequate despite the slowly unfolding disaster.
This error by police – to decisively act on at least 10 panicked emergency calls – is being seen as one factor behind the shocking deaths of 150 mostly young people who were out enjoying the Halloween festivities.
Among the dead was 23-year-old Sydneysider Grace Rached who had dressed up as film star Audrey Hepburn when she made her way into the Itaewon melee.
Stream your news live & on demand with Flash. From CNN International, Al Jazeera, Sky News, BBC World, CNBC & more. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer available for a limited time only >
It’s believed as many as 100,000 people – mostly in their teens and 20s – were celebrating in the district’s narrow alleyways when a crowd surge and crush took place.
The death toll stands 154 people, with more than 100 injured. At least 26 foreign nationals are included among the fatalities.
On Tuesday, South Korea’s head of police said the emergency response was “inadequate” and that a full investigation would take place.
It’s now emerged that police were called more than three and a half hours before the situation went catastrophically out of control.
‘This is so chilling’
At 10pm local time last Saturday, the first people crushed together in the tight streets began falling over setting off a chain reaction leading to scores of deaths.
Yet, the first call to 112 was received as early as 6.34pm, reported the BBC.
A caller to police said they were located on a street leading towards the Hamilton Hotel, in the heart of Itaewon, and it was already beginning to look like a safety issue.
“That alley is really dangerous right now people going up and down, so people can’t come down, but people keep coming up, it’s gonna be crushed.
“I barely made it to get out but it’s too crowded. I think you should control it,” the caller said.
The officer asked the caller if they were concerned people might “get crushed and fall” and if they thought there might be a “big accident”.
The caller said that was exactly the fear, adding “this is so chilling right now”.
At least 10 other calls were made to Seoul Police as the hours progressed up to the tragedy.
All the time more and more revellers, dressed up for Halloween, poured into the neighbourhood from the nearby underground station and local streets.
As people walked up the hilly streets further into Itaewon it had the effect of cramming those people who were already there further into the tiny space.
Claims police ‘ignored’ impending diaster
Website France 24 reported that by 8.30pm some people were already “sustaining injuries” due to the density of the crowd.
“I notified the police but nobody showed up,” one worker in a nightclub said.
At 9.16pm, a person walked into a police station, metres from the mayhem, appealing for something to be done. She later said in a lifestream that she was ignored.
Just after 10pm the crowd crush became a disaster area as people fell like “dominoes”.
The local fire station began receiving calls about the unfolding incident with the first help arriving at 10.15pm.
It’s now known more than 81 people called for help – some said they had difficulty breathing – by 10.45pm.
Police were indeed on the scene prior to the death. But there have been accusations too few officers who were doing too little to control the increasing crowds.
Police chief Yoon Hee-keun has now said that, “the response to the emergency calls was inadequate,” admitting that the large number of people ringing 112 should have rung alarm bells sooner.
“We will thoroughly check the facts to see whether we took proper actions after receiving emergency reports informing us of the danger in advance.”
Australian victim
Ms Rached from Sydney was among the victims.
She was dressed as Audrey Hepburn and was filmed dancing with friends just hours before the tragedy unfolded.
Aussie Nathan Taverniti, who shared heartbreaking clips of Ms Rached on the night she died, said it was “impossible” to save his friend and criticised authorities for their response.
More Coverage
He said he had spent Sunday trying to find her body, and appealed to the consulate for help. He added that two of his other friends who were in the crowd crush had also been hospitalised and were in critical condition.
“All I could see was a wall of people,” he told South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
“People need to know how bad it was and how little help there was.”
Woman dies after horror 2am cruise fall
A woman in her 20s plunged from a cruise ship into the English Channel in a horror 2am fall. She was winched out to safety but later died in hospital.
Sad hurricane update as death toll revealed
The death toll from Hurricane Milton in Florida has risen amid locals trying to navigate the clean-up.
Chaos for Rodrigo fans leaving concert
It was mayhem for fans trying to get home from US pop star Olivia Rodrigo’s Melbourne concert after two train stations were evacuated.