Editors of every business: Wang Yuelong, Lan Suying, Gao Han, Gai Yuanyuan
At 10:15 pm local time on the 29th, a large-scale stampede occurred in Itaewon, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. As of 5 pm local time on the 30th, the accident had killed 153 people, and previously reported that 82 people were injured. This incident is also the emergency incident in South Korea that caused the largest number of casualties after the Sewol incident in 2014.
In the early morning of October 30, ambulance workers were working on the scene in Itaewondong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea.
Image source: Xinhua News Agency/Neusis News Agency
According to the latest news from CCTV.com , the place where the stampede accident in Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea was a relatively steep downhill alley with a width of only about 4 meters, but hundreds or even thousands of people were squeezed in. Among the crowded and pushed people, some people accidentally fell, causing people around to fall in groups, and the crowd behind them became superimposed, and the stampede accident occurred. In the prime time of initial rescue, rescuers were unable to arrive at the core of the accident as soon as possible.
The accident occurred in the length of the place where the accident occurred was only 45 meters, and the width was only about 4 meters
Eyewitness: A "crazy man" deliberately squeezed people
According to Yonhap News Agency on October 30, the incident occurred in the "Four Seasons Food Street" of Itaewon, which was only 45 meters in length and only about 4 meters in width. is a steep alley next to the exit 1 of Itaewon Station, Seoul Metro Line 6. Under normal circumstances, only 5-6 adults can be accommodated here to pass side by side. When the
accident occurred, a large number of people gathered here to participate in Halloween activities. According to Yonhap News Agency's interview with the people on the scene, at that time, "the alleys were too crowded, and people could not get in and out." The scene was once "uncontrollable". Later, someone suddenly fell and the stampede accident began to happen.
According to China News Service, people who come down from the World Food Street and people who come up from Itaewon Station will meet together, and the alleys will inevitably be overcrowded. What's worse is that one side of the road is the hotel's exterior wall. When in danger, there is no place to escape on this side.
After the stampede occurred, due to too many people eager to go home, traffic jams occurred in major traffic arteries around them, which also caused certain difficulties for timely rescue of the injured.
Schematic diagram of the location of the accident. Picture source: Yonhap News Agency
In the early morning of October 30, ambulance workers were working on the scene in the area of Itaewondong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea.
Image source: Xinhua News Agency/Neusis News Agency
According to China News Network, the student Hu (pseudonym) who escaped the disaster in South Korea, " Going to Itaewon for Halloween" seems to have become a common thing for everyone. Due to the epidemic, has been Halloween for the past three years, and this is a rare opportunity. Regarding the stampede incident, Hu students believed that "maybe there has been no stampede incident in South Korea in recent years, so many people did not expect it."
" was already very crowded, and there were also 'crazy men' deliberately squeezed people. I was pushed forward when I was walking on the road that day. Fortunately, I stood firm." Hu students said. After the accident,
: The number of missing reports of is huge.
Medical experts: Most of the victims are under compression of the chest and respiratory failure to death
After the accident, the bodies of 151 victims were scattered and placed in 39 hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, which also caused great difficulties for the identity confirmation of the victims and the families of the missing. The family of a missing person reported in an interview with the media that he had contacted the emergency centers of multiple hospitals but failed to find the missing person. Many missing relatives and friends can only travel to multiple hospitals to find traces of relatives. According to Korean Minzu News on October 30, as of 5 pm local time today, the Hannam-dong Resident Center near the site of the accident had received 4,024 missing persons.
It is worth noting that this stampede may not be "no warning". According to Yonhap News Agency, tens of thousands of people gathered in Itaewon as early as the day before the accident. At that time, someone pointed out that such a huge traffic could cause a large accident.
In addition, some public opinion believes that although the Seoul Municipal Department and Yongsan District Department had previously proposed corresponding policies, they did not conduct effective on-site control on the day of the accident, which is also one of the reasons for the accident.
The cordon shot at the stampede scene in Seoul, South Korea on October 30. Photo source: Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Yiliang, photographed by
According to China News Service, experts who rushed to the scene of the accident to treat the victims attributed the cause of death of most victims to traumatic cardiac arrest caused by suffocation. reported that Hong Ji-jung, a professor of emergency medicine at Seoul University Affiliated Hospital who was present to save lives and heal the wounded, said that because it was a large-scale stampede accident, many people had already suffocated to death when they started to save people, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was ineffective.
Song Qingjun, professor of emergency medicine at the School of Medicine of Seoul University, pointed out that when the ambulance staff arrived, most of the injured had stopped their heartbeat, indicating that was pressed under the crowd th chest was compressed, the lungs could not swell, and they died of respiratory failure.
Steep terrain makes a tragedy
Itaewon 's name originally originated from the name of a hotel during the Joseon Dynasty, and the history of Itaewon's development into a business district can be traced back to the Korean War period. It is reported that after the end of the Korean War, the US military stationed in South Korea set up military camps near Itaewon. Itaewon has flourished because it is close to the US military's base. In order to meet the daily necessities of the US military, Koreans have begun to set up some stores in Itaewon to facilitate their shopping.
Public information shows that Itaewon is located in the eastern foot of the Nanshan Mountain in Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. The area has a population of about 22,000, making it one of the "eight major business districts" in Seoul. There is a saying in the local Korean region that "It's not surprising not to know Seoul, but it's strange not to know Itaewon."
In April this year, the South Korean government lifted restrictions on social distancing, and the vitality of Itaewon gradually returned. According to the Korea Economic Ilbo, since April, Itaewon's offline consumption has surged every month, with young consumers in their 20s being the main force in their contribution to growth.
The alleys around Itaewon are densely distributed in restaurants and bars and other entertainment facilities. Many well-known DJs and celebrities often appear. They are the "pilgrimage place" for locals. Their business district is similar to Sanlitun in Beijing. In addition, famous neighborhoods and attractions in South Korea, such as Hongdae , Insadong and Seoul Tower, are all located in Itaewon area, so is also a "must-visit place" for tourists to come to South Korea.
Image source: Korea JoongAng Daily
According to media reports, the Itaewon business district has always been famous for its high-rise back streets and alleys. When shopping here, "either climbing hills or going up and down stairs." Some scholars once pointed out that in this "alley business district", "the integrity and authenticity brought about by wild growth are its core competitiveness." However, may be because of this narrow alley area, coupled with the weekend encounters Halloween, which has led to this heartbreaking tragedy.
editing| Wang Yuelong Lan Suying Gao Han Gai Yuanyuan
proofreading| Lu Xiangyong
Daily Economic News is comprehensive from Meijing.com (Reporter Wen Qiao Special Reporter Tan Zhikang), China News Network, CCTV.com
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