Police are controlling the scene of the Halloween fatal accident in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 30th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 30th that it has activated the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in response to the crush accident that occurred in Itaewon on the night of the 29th.
The headquarters was established on the third basement floor of City Hall, and Kim Ui-seung, the First Deputy Mayor for Administration, is overseeing the situation on behalf of Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is returning from a business trip to Europe. A field command center has been set up at the accident site, where Han Je-hyun, the Second Deputy Mayor for Administration, and Oh Shin-hwan, the Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs, have been directing operations since 12:30 a.m. on the 30th. An emergency relief center has also been established at the scene.
Seoul City issued Fire Response Level 1 at 10:43 p.m. on the 29th, Level 2 at 11:13 p.m., and Level 3 at 11:50 p.m., cooperating and responding with the police. Rapid medical response teams from the Yongsan-gu and Jung-gu public health centers, as well as medical response teams from 14 hospitals including Seoul National University Hospital and Hanyang University Hospital, were dispatched to the accident site. Mayor Oh is scheduled to arrive around 4 p.m. that day to visit the accident site and oversee the response efforts.
Seoul City stated, "We are mobilizing all personnel to respond," and urged, "To prevent further damage and ensure smooth handling of the accident, citizens near Itaewon are requested to return home promptly."
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