Special commission recognizes two firefighters as victims of 2022 Itaewon crowd crush
Quick Look
- A special investigation commission has officially recognized two late firefighters as victims of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush.
- The responders, who suffered from PTSD following the tragedy, bring the total official death toll of the event to 162.
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Why It Matters
The Itaewon crowd crush occurred on October 29, 2022, resulting in 159 deaths due to insufficient safety measures during Halloween festivities.
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- A special investigation commission on Tuesday recognized two late firefighters who responded to the deadly Itaewon crowd crush in 2022 as official victims of the tragedy.
The pair -- surnamed Nam and Park -- were among first responders at the crowd crush that killed 159 people during Halloween festivities in a narrow alley of Itaewon on Oct. 29, 2022, amid a lack of safety measures.
The special commission said it recognized the two as victims after determining they had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and died from self-harm as they were unable to receive appropriate help.
With the recognition, the total number of official victims of the crowd crush rose to 162.
The commission earlier recognized as an official victim a late business owner who had helped with the rescue efforts on the night of the crowd crush. The business owner, who had also suffered from PTSD, was found dead earlier this year.
Open Questions
- Will there be further recognitions of victims related to the tragedy?
