Seoul police chief has been charged with negligence over a lethal Halloween crush that left 159 folks lifeless in South Korea, prosecutors stated.
Kim Kwang-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Company (SMPA), has been charged with skilled negligence that led to the deaths and accidents to folks through the 29 October 2022 celebrations, western district prosecutors’ workplace in Seoul stated on Friday.
Greater than 100,000 folks, principally of their 20s and 30s, had gathered to take pleasure in Halloween vacation celebrations post-pandemic within the capital’s Itaewon nightlife district. It took a lethal flip when partygoers pushed their manner via the slim alleyway within the Itaewon space, whereas music from the close by nightclubs continued to blare within the background.
The prosecutors alleged that Mr Kim, who was not on the town that night time and off responsibility, “didn’t take essential measures, resembling deploying enough police forces and guaranteeing correct command and supervision”.
It was regardless of Mr Kim being “totally conscious of the hazard to the general public and for some unexplained cause uncared for the scene of the Itaewon tragedy”.
Mr Kim is the highest-ranking police official to face prices over the deadly crush and was charged with out detention.
Round 137 officers had been deployed for the celebrations that night time in Itaewon. However the power was outnumbered by the folks pouring into the slim lanes of the district.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, middle, visits the scene the place dozens of individuals died and have been injured in Seoul
The preliminary signal of a attainable mishap in 2022 emerged shortly after 6.30 native time, hours earlier than the tragic crush occurred in an alley off the primary highway.
Witnesses stated the group surge induced “a hell-like” chaos as folks fell on one another “like dominos”.
In January final 12 months, Mr Kim and 22 different officers from Seoul police and rescue and district officers have been referred for cost by a particular police investigation workforce over the alleged mishandling.
Prosecutors additionally charged the heads of the police stations in Yongsan district that features Itaewon, and the Yongsan Ward workplace.
Individuals participate in a drill, performed by the police, on a avenue in Seoul, 25 October 2023
(EPA)
A January 2023 report by the investigative workforce stated the native municipal and officers from emergency service didn’t plan forward and had a poor emergency response. It stated no preventive measures have been taken previous to the celebrations and the response to emergency requires assist was inappropriate.
The workplace has stated that Mr Kim is “liable for breaching his particular responsibility of care by failing to correctly train his authority to deploy police” and referred to as him to be “severely punished”.
The households of victims welcomed the fees and demanded that the police chief resign.
“Chief Kim should instantly step down from his place and face trial,” the households stated in a press release. “President Yoon Suk-yeol should dismiss Kim instantly.”