[Itaewon Disaster] Golden Time to Save Cardiac Arrest Patients: 4 Minutes... Difficult Access Due to Crowds and Vehicles Mixed

Raised disaster level to 3 but road paralysis overwhelms efforts
Firefighters: "Other ambulances also take time to arrive at the scene"

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 29th, a large-scale crush accident occurred as crowds gathered in the Itaewon-dong area of Yongsan-gu, Seoul ahead of Halloween. It has been confirmed that even after the accident was reported, ambulances and other emergency vehicles were unable to reach the scene in time. Experts analyzed that the damage may have worsened due to the difficulty of rapid transportation.

Professor Yeom Geon-ung of U1 University (Police and Fire Administration) explained in an interview with YTN's "Good Morning YTN" on the morning of the 30th, "There were more people in the alley next to the Hamilton Hotel, where the accident occurred, than it could accommodate, so people could not move," adding, "In such a situation, one person fell, and as people continued to fall one after another, a crushing disaster occurred."

He also said, "The fire authorities tried to respond quickly after receiving the report, but the road conditions near Itaewon were paralyzed, so they raised the disaster level to stage 3 and the response level to stage 3 before dispatching. Then they tried to deploy personnel to the scene, but delays were inevitable in that process, which is regrettable," adding, "Still, many citizens acted as rescuers at the scene."

Consistent with expert opinions, a firefighter said in an interview with Edaily, "When we arrived in Itaewon, cooperation with control was not very good," and "It took time for other ambulances to arrive at the Itaewon scene." It is known that some paramedics and police had to move patients through the chaotic streets filled with crowds and transport them by ambulance. Ambulances also faced difficulties securing lanes due to the crowds and vehicles.

Professor Yeom analyzed that the overall occurrence of these situations ultimately increased the damage from the accident. Regarding the victims' conditions at the time of the accident, Professor Yeom explained, "When crushed, shock occurs and the victim enters a state of cardiac arrest where breathing is impossible. When cardiac arrest happens, blood does not circulate throughout the body, and even blood supply to the brain vessels stops," adding, "The medical community considers the golden time to be 4 minutes."

The number of deaths from being crushed by the large crowd in Itaewon-dong has risen to 151. As of 9:30 a.m. on the 30th, the fire authorities announced that the death toll increased by 2 from 149 at 6 a.m. to 151. The number of injured also rose from 76 to 82. Among them, 19 are seriously injured, so the death toll may increase further. There are 63 minor injuries, and the total number of casualties is 233.