Aftermath of the Itaewon disaster

Shocking tragedy: Flowers and messages from mourners are seen at a makeshift memorial for the victims of the deadly Halloween crowd surge in Itaewon. – Photos: AFP

THE deadly crowd crush during Halloween celebrations in Itaewon on Oct 29 shocked the nation to its core. The death toll amounted to at least 156, including 26 foreigners from 14 countries. Hundreds of others were injured and thousands across South Korea are dealing with trauma. Nearly all the dead were young people who had gathered in narrow alleys lined with bars and clubs to celebrate Halloween.

As the nation mourned, attention turned to questions about how such a deadly crowd crush could have been avoided. A detailed investigation of the disaster is underway, but it has become clear that crowd was far too dense for the size of the steeply sloping alleys. Pushing at the top pressed people below, creating the deadly cascade that crush people at the bottom. Preventing the alleys from reaching such high density would most certainly have reduced the likelihood of such a high death toll.