SEOUL, Nov 1 (Reuters) – South Korea pledged to quell public anger at a Halloween party that killed more than 150 people, mostly young people, on Nov. He called for tough new security measures to prevent incidents. disaster.
The death toll from a crash at Saturday’s crowded Halloween street party rose to 156, with 151 injured, 29 of them in serious condition.At least 26 people from 14 countries were among the dead. included citizens of
The narrow streets and alleys of popular Itaewon district host the first virtually unrestricted Halloween festival in three years, with tens of thousands of costumed revelers, many of them in their teens and twenties. Guests were gathering.
South Korea’s chief security officer, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, apologized on Tuesday and vowed to find out the cause of the incident and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
“As the minister who oversees public safety, I sincerely apologize for this incident.
He came under heavy public criticism after he said deploying more police could not have prevented the disaster.
National Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-kun admitted on Tuesday that crowd control at the scene was “insufficient”, noting that police had received multiple reports warning of possible accidents on the night of the disaster.
At a press conference, Yoon said, “The police will carry out thorough inspections and investigations in all aspects without exception to find out the truth about the accident.”
Prime Minister Han Duk-soo also said an ongoing investigation would cover whether the agency’s on-site response was adequate. He blamed institutional measures for crowd control as the cause of the deadly surge. was pointed out to be insufficient.
President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a week of national mourning, saying the country had too many security disasters. He said better responses are important, including better crowd control.
“We need to come up with concrete safety measures to control crowds, not only on the streets where the catastrophe hit, but also in places where large numbers of people gather, such as stadiums and concert venues,” the prime minister said at a cabinet meeting. .
All victims have been identified and memorial altars have been set up at Seoul City Hall and the Itaewon district where citizens mourned.
(This article has been resubmitted to add deleted words in paragraph 9)
Reported by Choi Soo Hyang and Shin Hyun Hee. Written by Jack Kim.Editing by Jerry Doyle
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