As it happened: S Korea funerals begin as questions over crush grow

1. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has vowed a "thorough investigation" into the cause of the tragedy
2. Funerals for some of the 154 victims have begun taking place
3. The victims - mostly in their 20s and more women than men - had thronged a popular nightlife district for Halloween
4. It was the first outdoor no-mask Halloween event with no limit on numbers since the pandemic
5. The crush began in a narrow alley, but officials don't yet know the cause or the circumstances that led to it
6. The foreign ministry says 26 foreign nationals are among the dead, Reuters reports

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As evening falls in Seoul, questions over how the crush in Itaewon could have happened and whether more should have been done to prevent such a tragedy are only growing.

PM Han Duck-soo has vowed an investigation will get to the bottom of this and that such a crush will not be repeated. On Sunday the interior minister said police had expected similar numbers as in previous years and many officers had been sent elsewhere in the capital for an expected protest.

Meanwhile Koreans and foreigners alike who have been affected by what happened have been saying it is the government's responsibility to ensure public safety - one union hung a large banner near an official memorial in the city centre saying: "The right to be safe is the basic right of all citizens. And there is no other value to be prioritised than the lives of people and their safety.”

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The latest from Seoul

Reuters

• Funerals for some of the 154 victims who died in the crush on Saturday have begun taking place. South Korea's government said it will provide up to 15 million won (£9,100; $10,500) for funeral expenses to the families of victims
• South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has promised a thorough investigation into what caused the incident and to make institutional changes so that such an accident is not repeated
• Police have seized footage from 52 different CCTV cameras and spoken to 44 witnesses as investigations get under way to analyse what happened
• Police have also now identified all 154 people killed by the crush
• K-pop concerts and government briefings have been cancelled across the country, as the country mourns
• People have been turning up at memorial stations - both makeshift ones and one set up by the government - to pay their respects

South Korean PM visits the scene

EPA

PM Han Duck-soo is in the centre of the photo

Han Duck-soo said earlier that there would be a thorough investigation aimed at making sure nothing similar would ever happen again.

Monks lead vigil near Itaewon alley

Simon Atkinson

Reporting from Seoul

BBC

As night falls, a steady stream of people are arriving in Itaewon to lay flowers, light candles or stand silently at the memorial that has sprung up just 20 metres from the alley where the crush happened.

Throughout the afternoon, monks have led prayers, ringing bells, chanting. Some of those who have gathered are wiping away tears. Others look down sombrely.

Itaewon triggers memories of Lan Kwai Fong in 1993

Grace Tsoi

Reporting from Hong Kong

The Itaewon stampede has reminded many Hong Kongers of the Lan Kwai Fong tragedy nearly three decades ago.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 revellers poured into the party district of Lan Kwai Fong in Central – an area known for steep slopes and stairs – in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 1993. The slopes became slippery because of alcohol, spray from aerosol streamers and foam.

The immediate trigger remained unclear, but witnesses said they saw a “human wall” after people fell and crushed under each other’s weight. The Lan Kwai Fong disaster ended with 21 deaths and 63 injuries. All the victims were aged between 15 and 30.

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Police limited the size of crowds in Lan Kwai Fong on Sunday

A subsequent report found that failure to control the size of the crowd was the main reason behind the disaster - People were "so densely packed that a massive, crushing human pile-up resulted when they fell. That dreadful result was due to extreme over-crowding,” the report read.

Gatherings since then have remained safe, Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group Allan Zeman told the BBC.

“They have figured out the amount of people that can fit into the area of Lan Kwai Fong and then we go in different stages,” said Mr Zeman, adding that police would close off the area in the final stage if the number of partygoers reach a safe maximum.

“Also, what they found was that you have to do one way in, one way out,” he said. “That way everybody is moving in the same direction instead of people coming from all sides that can create panic.”

No comment from North Korea yet

North Korean propaganda outlets have not mentioned the Itaewon crush yet.

Monday marks the third day since the tragedy took place. And on the website of the North Korean party daily Rodong Sinmun, state news agency KCNA, and Uriminzokkiri, which targets South Korean audiences, there was still no mention of it..

That contrasts with the condolences sent to South Korea by leaders from around the world.

Meanwhile, South Korea and the US began one of their largest combined military air drills on Monday. North and South Korea are technically still at war.

Police admit failing to spot crowd was growing - Yonhap

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Police in South Korea failed to detect a sudden surge in the crowd size at Itaewon, a top police official told Yonhap News.

"It was foreseen that a large number of people would gather there. But we didn't expect that large-scale casualties would occur due to the gathering of many people," Hong Ki-hyun, chief of the National Police Agency's Public Order Management Bureau, told the local news outlet.

"I was told that police officers on the scene didn't detect a sudden surge in the crowd."

He added that this year's Halloween crowd was similar to crowd sizes in previous years, but said that 137 officers had been deployed to Itaewon this year - as compared to between 37-90 officers from 2017 to 2019, though most of these officers were assigned to cracking down on illegal activities and managing traffic.

How the tragedy unfolded

It was early evening on Saturday when thousands of mainly young people converged in Itaewon, a lively party spot, in the centre of the South Korean capital.

Some accounts say 100,000 people had descended on the area to celebrate Halloween, excited about the prospect of partying again after two years of strict Covid restrictions in the country.

Nuhyil Ahammed, 32, was among the crowd.

By 11pm it was clear something was wrong, and an alarmed Mr Ahammed found himself caught up in a huge crowd of people.

"People began pushing from behind, it was like a wave - there was nothing you could do," he said.

"People were suffocating, screaming... getting squeezed... falling... there were just too many people."

Read more on how the incident unfolded here.

In pictures: People mourn the victims of the Halloween crush

People have been mourning more than 150 victims - many of them teenagers or in their 20s - who died when a surging crowd packed into an alley in the capital Seoul.

The tragedy took place on Saturday night in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district.

Reuters

Mourners gathered near the scene of the crush that happened during Halloween festivities in Seoul

Reuters

Investigators inspected the site of the accident in the alley in Itaewon

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee visited a joint memorial altar for the victims, in front of city hall in Seoul

Reuters

People visited the memorial for the victims to show their respects, at Seoul City Hall Plaza in Seoul

Reuters

A Korean woman mourned in a field near City Hall, holding a banner of apology and said she felt "sorry for the victims"

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People paid tribute to those who were killed, at a makeshift memorial outside a subway station in the district of Itaewon

Police seize CCTV footage from 52 cameras

Police have seized footage from 52 different CCTV cameras and spoken to 44 witnesses, Korean news agency Yonhap reports.

Investigations are under way to analyse what happened on Saturday night.

The police have also now identified all 154 people killed by the crush, Yonhap said.

S Korea announces money for funerals

South Korean government has said it will provide up to 15 million won (£9,100; $10,500) for funeral expenses to the families of victims.

All families have been matched with a specially-designated civil servant, and government staff have been sent to 31 funeral homes to support the funeral arrangements, said Kim Sung-ho, Vice Minister for Disaster and Safety Management, on Monday.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a period of national mourning.

For Koreans, memories of another disaster

The tragedy in Itaewon has reopened old wounds in South Korea.

Some 304 people, mostly high-school students, died in 2014 when the Sewol ferry sank off Jindo island, sparking national mourning and intense public criticism of the government.

Yoo Kyung-geun, the head of Sewol Victims' Families Committee, addressed the Itaewon victims and their families on his Facebook page, telling them: "This tragedy is not your fault."

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"It was not your or your children's fault to go to the Halloween party," he wrote.

Responsibility for protecting lives lay with the government, he said.

South Korean officials have said they are investigating what happened in Itaewon.

The Sewol disaster was blamed on a combination of illegal redesigns, cargo overloading, the inexperience of the crew member steering the vessel, and lax government regulations.

The ship's captain was later convicted of murder.

Remembering a friend who tried to save others

Jean Mackenzie

Reporting from Seoul

BBC

At the public memorial, 19-year-old Kim Dae-hui came to lay a flower for his friend Rhau who died on Saturday night.

Rhau had called Kim from the crowded alleyway as he was being crushed. He told Kim he was trying to save the woman next to him. Suddenly he had to hang up. The woman’s hand had turned cold, he said.

That was the last Kim heard.

The next morning, he saw his friend in one of the videos being shared on social media. He looked pale and distressed. Hours later Kim got the call his friend had died.

Rhau was 21. He moved to Seoul from Malaysia in January last year and the pair instantly became good friends.

Rhau worked in construction but dreamed of having a creative job one day, hopefully as a fashion designer. But for the moment he had been focused on supporting his family back home.

On social media, young Koreans grapple with grief

South Koreans are trying to come to terms with the enormous grief caused by this tragedy - and are posting online about how they are feeling.

On the country's super-app Kakaotalk, open chat groups have been set up for people to offer their condolences. People joined from around the country to mourn the loss of 154 young lives.

Videos and photos of the scene have been flooding the internet since late Saturday night. Eyewitness accounts of how the crowd were pushed and suffocated have been widely shared.

"They were there in a happy mood to go to their first Halloween party since the pandemic. This is so sad that I've lost my words," one comment on YouTube read.

Many are started asking how this could have happened, and if anyone was responsible for it. The authorities have said little beyond vowing to conduct a thorough investigation so such an incident never happens again.

The government is well aware of the power of social media. On Monday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo asked people to stop posting "hatred comments, fake information, or sensational accident scenes on the internet and social media".

Tributes for Australian film producer who died

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Australian authorities have confirmed Sydney woman Grace Rached, who would have celebrated her 24th birthday next month, was among those killed.

In a statement, her family described her as a "gorgeous angel" and the "life of the party".

"Grace always made others feel important and her kindness left an impression on everyone she ever met," they said.

"She cared deeply about her two sisters and was a wonderful role model."

Colleagues and friends have also paid tribute to the film producer.

“Grace was a fun, friendly, kind-hearted and passionate individual who loved to make films and make people laugh," Shahn Devendran told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“This is truly devastating news."

A friend who was with Ms Rached earlier spoke about the moment she died on TikTok, and criticised South Korean authorities over what he called an "avoidable" tragedy.

Detectives make their way into Itaewon alley

Simon Atkinson

Reporting from Seoul

BBC

In the past couple of minutes, around 20 detectives in black police jackets have ducked under the orange cordon and have gone up the Itaewon alleyway where the crush took place.

Some carrying clipboards, they are taking photos of the scene and appear to be focusing on a doorway to the left, as we look up the narrow street.

Their every move is being tracked by dozens of camera crews, banked up on the main road.

If you're just joining us...

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It's just past 14:00 in Seoul - here are the latest developments following the tragedy that unfolded in Itaewon on Saturday:

Here's what we've learnt so far today:

• The death toll has risen overnight, with 154 people now known to have died at the Halloween event, with 26 foreigners among that number. Most of the victims were in their 20s

• South Korea's Prime Minister has promised to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, saying the country would do its best to make "institutional changes" so such an accident would not occur again
• More eyewitness testimony has also emerged, with one person on Twitter who claimed to be on the scene saying that people kept "pushing down" into the alleyway, resulting in "other people... falling down like dominoes"
• A memorial altar has been set up in central Seoul's City Hall, where people have been streaming in, leaving flowers, drinks and candles in tribute to the victims
• At Sooncheonhyang hospital - where most of the victims were taken - wakes are expected to take place later today, with a steady stream of people dressed in black seen walking in and out
• K-pop concerts and government briefings in the country have now been cancelled. Schools, kindergartens and companies around the country have also scrapped planned Halloween events

Union demands public safety be ensured

Tessa Wong

Reporting from Seoul

BBC

Black banners by a local labour union have been put up round the corner from Seoul city hall.

They read: “Expressing condolences for the Itaewon incident victims. The right to be safe is the basic right of all citizens. And there is no other value to be prioritised than the lives of people and their safety.”

'Children deserve to grow up in a safe country'

Tessa Wong

Reporting from Seoul

BBC

Lee Insook's sign says “I’m so sorry, guys”

We mentioned earlier that a Korean woman had been mourning in a field near City Hall, holding a banner of apology.

She told the BBC she came because she felt "sorry for the victims", adding that "all young people should live in a safe and peaceful place".

"I have two children in their mid-30s and also a granddaughter who is seven years old - she should grow up in a safe country," said 63-year-old Lee Insook.

"This is a human disaster, it wouldn't have happened if there had been enough preparation by the government. It’s a horrific accident, but it’s the responsibility of the government, as well as older people who could have voted for other parties.

"There’s nothing I can do, except to sit here and mourn for the victims."

'Be safe' - US father's last message to son

"I know you're out and about. Be safe."

That was the last text Steve Blesi sent to his son - who was one of the two Americans who died in the Halloween celebration in Itaewon.

Mr Blesi had first made an appeal on Twitter on Sunday, calling on anyone who had news of his son.

Hours later, he confirmed on the social media platform that his son had died.

"It was like your world just collapsing. It was numb and devastating all at the same time," Mr Blesi said of his reaction when he heard the news, speaking to the New York Times.

He told the news outlet that his son had been waiting for years for an opportunity to study abroad, and had been learning Korean. When he went to Itaewon with a group of friends, they had all just finished their midterm exams and were looking to have a night of fun.

Mr Blesi says he now feels anger towards the Korean authorities, saying they allowed this to happen.

“I see politicians out there grieving on Twitter,” he told the NYT.

“It’s just, to me, publicity on their end. Whereas they should be working to try to ensure rules are in place to not allow this type of crowding to ever happen again.”

South Korea's prime minister has vowed there will be a thorough investigation. On Sunday the interior minister said authorities had expected the same kind of crowds as in previous years and many police had been deployed elsewhere in the capital.