South Korea Opens Probe Into Deadly Halloween Crowd Crush That Killed 154 People

South Korea launched an investigation on Monday after a crowd crush in Seoul over the weekend killed 154 people — one of the deadliest incidents in the country in years.

What Happened: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited an altar set up near Seoul City Hall to mourn those killed during Halloween festivities after a large crowd surged into an alleyway, reported Bloomberg.

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Yoon also declared a week-long mourning period and is spending his day focused on the incident. 

All but one of the victims have been identified, according to Prime Minister Han Duck Soo, who also pledged that the government would do everything in its power to help the bereaved families.

"The government will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and do its best to improve the necessary systems," Han said.

"We are analyzing CCTVs to find out the exact cause of the accident," Police Chief Investigator Nam Gu Jun told the media, adding, "We will continue questioning more witnesses, including nearby shop employees."

A man who survived the crowd surge said he could still see "people dying in front of me."
"People began pushing from behind, it was like a wave — there was nothing you could do," Nuhyil Ahammed told the BBC.

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Posted In: NewsGlobalEurasiaHalloweenSeoulSouth KoreaYoon Suk Yeol
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