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How did 158 people die at a Halloween party in Seoul on October 29? This is the question that the Washington Post teams have tried to answer, delving into the details of the night of the tragedy thanks to the testimonies of the victims and almost 350 videos and photos. The journalistic investigation is damning for the authorities and once again testifies to the lack of preparation and reaction on their part. The document, which offers a minute-by-minute account of the night of the tragedy, confirms that the disaster could have been prevented.
With our correspondent in Seoul, Nicolas Rocca.
The first of hundreds of videos analyzed by the teams of the Washington Post it is dated 6:28 p.m. on October 29, and the alley is packed to the brim. At the same time, the police received a first call warning of the danger of people being crushed to death by the crowd.
multiple calls
Almost three hours later, at 10:08 p.m., the catastrophe began; by then, 13 emergency calls had already been made to the police. But there were only 137 police officers in the area that night, causing a serious failure in the first aid response.
For almost 30 long minutes, access to the alley was not blocked and more people kept arriving, making the situation worse. One video shows a lone policeman desperately trying to push the crowd away. “People are dying, back off, please cooperate,” says the policeman.
Registry of the Ministry of the Interior
And it was not until around 11:20 p.m. when the rescuers managed to get all the injured and unconscious to apply cardiac massages. Although the police have admitted the errors, investigators are still working to identify those responsible.
In recent days, an investigated police officer and municipal official have been found dead, presumably by suicide. Following a complaint from a fire union, the Interior Minister is now in the spotlight of the investigation and his ministry will be registered on November 17.
