South Korean authorities say they had no guidelines for Halloween crowds, as families grieve 154 victims - CNN

Seoul, South Korea CNN  — 

South Korean authorities said Monday they had nary guidelines to grip the immense crowds that gathered for Halloween festivities successful Seoul, arsenic families successful the state and astir the satellite mourn the 154 victims of Saturday night’s assemblage crush.

The crush took spot successful the constrictive neon-lit alleyways of the fashionable nightlife territory Itaewon, wherever witnesses described being incapable to determination oregon respire arsenic thousands of revelers stood shoulder-to-shoulder successful a thoroughfare nary much than 4 meters (13 feet) wide.

Frantic families spent much of Sunday gathering astatine accusation centers wherever authorities compiled details of the dormant and wounded, and contacting morgues and hospitals successful a hopeless effort to find missing relatives.

With each of the victims present identified, the panic has transformed to nationalist grief arsenic the state grapples with 1 of its worst-ever disasters – portion parents overseas marque arrangements for their deceased children successful a overseas land.

Official memorial altars were acceptable up successful cardinal Seoul Monday, with photos showing crowds visiting to wage their respects. Many were successful tears and holding achromatic flowers; others knelt and bowed profoundly to the altar.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, his wife, Kim Keon-hee, and apical officials including the premier curate and Seoul politician joined the mourners.

Many shops and businesses were closed to observe a week-long nationalist play of mourning. Parts of cardinal Seoul were astir deserted – a highly antithetic show successful the usually bustling superior that’s location to astir 10 cardinal people.

People besides paid respects astatine a makeshift memorial successful Itaewon, extracurricular a subway presumption adjacent the alley wherever the crush occurred. The presumption entranceway is adorned with rows of flowers, and offerings specified arsenic handwritten notes, bottles of the Korean liquor soju and insubstantial cups filled with drinks.

Among the mourners was a civic radical of the bereaved families of the Sewol Ferry disaster, which killed 304 radical – mostly teens connected a schoolhouse travel – erstwhile the vas sank successful 2014.

“As 1 who had suffered the aforesaid pain, my bosom is torn and I’m rendered speechless,” 1 of the group’s members told reporters astatine the memorial, saying the families were saddened to spot “a large catastrophe similar this repeated.”

Just down the street, the entranceway to the alley had been cordoned off, with information unit lasting defender arsenic forensic teams clad successful achromatic protective suits scoured the area, inactive littered with trash and debris.

Amid the grief, questions person emerged astir the government’s handling of the incidental and an evident deficiency of assemblage power earlier the tragedy.

One survivor, 22-year-old French speech pupil Anne-Lou Chevalier, told CNN she passed retired successful the assemblage aft being “crushed” by chap revelers. “At immoderate constituent I had nary air, and we were truthful crushed to different radical that I couldn’t respire astatine all. So, I conscionable passed out,” Chevalier said.

Several eyewitnesses and survivors said they had seen fewer oregon nary constabulary officers successful the country earlier the concern deteriorated.

Earlier connected Sunday, the curate of the interior and information said lone a “normal” level of information unit had been deployed to Itaewon due to the fact that the assemblage determination did not look unusually ample – whereas a “considerable number” of constabulary had been sent to different portion of Seoul successful effect to expected protests.

But – facing a backlash from Korean politicians and connected societal media – authorities seemed to alteration tack connected Monday, saying they had deployed astir 137 unit to Itaewon that night, compared to astir 30 to 70 unit successful erstwhile years earlier the pandemic.

“For this time’s Halloween festival, due to the fact that it was expected that galore radical would stitchery successful Itaewon, I recognize that it was prepared by putting successful much constabulary unit than different years,” said Oh Seung-jin, manager of the convulsive transgression probe part astatine the National Police Agency.

However, helium admitted, “currently determination is nary abstracted mentation manual for specified a concern wherever determination is nary organizer and a gathering of a assemblage is expected.” Moreover, the constabulary had been deployed not for assemblage power – but for transgression prevention and to forestall “various amerciable activities.”

Kim Seong-ho, manager of the catastrophe and information absorption part astatine the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, echoed these comments, saying they did not person “guidelines oregon a manual” for specified an “unprecedented situation.”

The victims were mostly young radical who had gone to Itaewon Saturday night, anxious for South Korea’s archetypal Halloween celebrations successful years without Covid restrictions.

Of the 154 dead, 12 were teenagers and 102 were successful their 20s, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said successful its concern study Monday, with 55 men and 99 women killed.

Among their fig were 26 overseas nationals from countries including the United States, China, Iran, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia, Norway, France, Russia, Austria, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

A further 149 radical were injured, 33 seriously, including 15 overseas nationals.

Six students who attended schools successful Seoul – 1 mediate schooler and 5 precocious schoolers – were among the dead, arsenic good arsenic 3 teachers, said the Korean Ministry of Education.

Three South Korean subject unit were besides among those killed, said a Korean Defense Ministry official.

Two American assemblage students were identified – Steven Blesi from Georgia, and Anne Gieske from Kentucky – some successful their inferior year.

Blesi’s father, Steve Blesi, said his lad had “always been an adventurer.” He was an Eagle Scout, liked hoops and wanted to larn aggregate languages, helium said.

“Maybe successful a fractional hr earlier this calamity lawsuit took place, I texted him successful WhatsApp … ‘I cognize you’re retired and about. Stay safe. I emotion you.’ And I ne'er got a effect back,” Steve said. “He had an incredibly agleam aboriginal that is present gone.”

Dan Gieske, Anne’s father, said successful a connection Sunday evening that the household was “completely devastated and heartbroken,” calling Anne “a agleam airy loved by all.”

Anne had been a nursing pupil studying overseas successful Seoul this semester, said the president of the University of Kentucky.

The begetter of Mei Tomikawa, a 26-year-old Japanese speech pupil who was killed successful the crush, told Japanese nationalist broadcaster NHK helium was “prepared for the worst” erstwhile helium couldn’t scope her.

She was studying Korean earlier starting schoolhouse successful Seoul, helium said, speaking earlier traveling from Japan to South Korea connected Monday.

“I tried calling her to pass her to beryllium careful, but she ne'er answered her phone,” helium said, according to NHK. “She was a large girl … I privation to spot my girl arsenic soon arsenic possible.”

The household of an Australian victim, Grace Rached, besides released a connection connected Monday describing her arsenic “a talented movie shaper who was passionate astir making a difference.”

“We are missing our gorgeous angel Grace who lit up a country with her infectious smile. Grace ever made others consciousness important and her kindness near an content connected everyone she ever met. Grace ever cared astir others and she was loved by all,” the household wrote.

Authorities are present moving with overseas embassies and families overseas, offering enactment with ceremonial arrangements. As the week goes on, much names and faces of those who died are apt to emerge, arsenic the federation searches for answers arsenic to however specified a catastrophe – successful an country known to beryllium crowded connected Halloween, with festivities weeks successful the readying – could person unfolded.