PM renews pledge to support foreign victims of deadly crowd crush
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presides over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the government complex in Seoul, Nov. 3. Yonhap
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday renewed the government's pledge to provide all necessary support to foreign victims of the Itaewon crowd crush.
Han instructed the foreign ministry to make sure that nothing goes wrong when bereaved families of the foreign victims receive support, including aid for funeral arrangements.
"Please make sure there is no problem in providing information on related issues, such as support for funeral expenses," Han told a response meeting.
At least 156 people, including 26 foreign nationals, were killed during the crowd surge in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon last Saturday.
The government said it will provide the same support program to both local and foreign victims.
Han also said that starting Thursday, the government will begin safety checks on large gatherings that are expected to increase in size by 10,000 people per hour, Han said.
In the wake of the disaster, the government will set up a "crowd management system based on scientific analysis," Han said. (Yonhap)