After South Korean officials admitted there were mistakes in crowd control on Halloween, AFP is using official data, media reports and witness testimony to examine the timing of the disaster that killed 156 people.
– The plan –
On October 27, two days earlier, police estimate that 100,000 people will attend the Halloween event at Itaewon nightlife district in Seoul. They announce plans to deploy 200 officers.
Because the party isn’t an “official” event, authorities don’t plan to use stewards to deal with the crowds.
– early warnings –
On the afternoon of October 29, tens of thousands of people, many in Halloween costumes, flock to Itaewon’s narrow streets.
At 20:30 (1130 GMT) the alley is packed at the epicenter of the crowd. Some partygoers are already sustaining injuries due to the crowds.
“I called the police but nobody showed up,” a nightclub employee told local media, saying they had spoken to officers twice on the phone before the disaster.
At 9:16 p.m., a live streamer goes to a police station about 10 meters from the alley and warns that the crowd is dangerously thick.
The police ignored her, she says in a stream that she later deletes.
National police chief Yoon Hee-keun admitted on Tuesday that police had received “several reports” urging danger in the area but had “done inadequately” with the information.
– emergency calls –
Eyewitnesses say at 10:00 p.m. people start falling down the sloping alleyway next to the Hamilton Hotel.
People at the bottom of the slope cannot disembark as crowds come from the other direction – from exits 1 and 2 of the Itaewon subway station and from the main entrance of the Hamilton Hotel.
People fell “like dominoes,” crashing into those in front of them, who were immediately pinched, trampled, and crushed.
Between 10:15 p.m. and 10:22 p.m., the Yongsan Fire Station received several calls about a “crush accident” or stampede. They dispatch first responders between 10:15 p.m. and 10:27 p.m.
Calls kept coming in from people reporting breathing difficulties – more than 81 requests for help by 10:43 p.m., prompting authorities to issue a “first tier emergency order”.
Rescue workers arrive at the scene and begin emergency resuscitation of victims on the street, but are quickly overwhelmed and turn to the public for help.
At 11:13 p.m., a second-tier order is issued. It will be upgraded to a Tier 3 Order at 11:50 PM.
President Yoon Suk-yeol orders officials to urgently dispatch emergency medical teams.
– pile of corpses –
The President then oversees a meeting of the central disaster management team.
At the scene, rescuers and bystanders struggle to pull the victims out of the crush of bodies in the alley.
“We pulled them out but we couldn’t because all these people were stuffed and that creates a lot of weight,” Jarmil Taylor, who was trapped in the crush at the top of the alley, told AFP.
Only well after midnight did the emergency services manage to get everyone out of the crowd.
“It’s been a long time for the people who were stuck there not breathing,” Dane Beathard, a witness, told AFP.
– clear area –
The police are trying to move people away from the crime scene, but the crowd is too thick and doesn’t disperse easily.
At 1 a.m., the police ordered shops in the area to be closed.
In the meantime, rescue workers have pulled numerous people out of the crowd and are trying desperately to revive them with the help of passers-by. Other partygoers — seemingly unaware of the looming disaster — continue partying nearby.
“There were more than 50 people lying but I couldn’t look at them because the scene was horrific,” said an eyewitness surnamed Choi, adding that hardly anyone she helped was successfully resuscitated.
At around 2:00 am, President Yoon bans anyone except officials and medical personnel from entering Itaewon.
– Death toll rises –
At around 3am, firefighters say 120 people have died and warn that tolls will increase as many of those rescued are in critical condition.
Itaewon Subway Station quickly becomes congested when people try to exit. The city deploys additional buses at 3:50 a.m. to help.
As of 4 a.m., firefighters say 146 people have been killed and 150 others injured.
There are still partygoers trapped in the area. The city sends extra subway cars to Itaewon station at 5 a.m.
– Shouldn’t have happened –
At 9:45 a.m. Sunday, President Yoon will address the nation in a televised address, saying the disaster “should not have happened” and vowing a full investigation.
As of November 1, the death toll was 156, mostly young women, with dozens more injured, some of whom are still in critical condition.
It is one of the worst disasters in South Korea’s history.
