There Were 11 Emergency Calls Prior To The Itaewon Tragedy, South Korean PM Asked The Police To Explain The Response Taken

Residents put flowers and condolences for the victims of the Halloween celebration at Itaewon Exit 1. (Wikimedia Commons/*Youngjin)

South Korean Prime Ministers said police had to explain how they responded to a number of emergency calls hours before the Halloween party in Itaewon, Seoul was a deadly tragedy with more than 150 people dead.

Saturday night's tragedy killed 156 people and injured 172 others, while 33 others are still in serious condition. At least 26 citizens from 14 countries were among the dead.

"The police must carry out a thorough examination and provide a clear and transparent explanation to the public," said PM Han Duck-soo at the start of a televised task force meeting.

An emergency call transcript released by police on Tuesday showed the first warning of a possible deadly crowd about four hours before the disaster, with the caller asking the police to be sent to an alley where party visitors had packed the wall against the wall.

The police received 10 other similar calls, with the callers begging for more and more urgency and despair. The last call comes just minutes before people in the narrow and oblique alley began to fall.

Transcripts appear to confirm the testimony of witnesses who said they saw some police directing traffic on the main road, but few or no officers in crowded pedestrian alleys and side roads.

About 100.000 people are expected to be in Itaewon on Saturday, an area famous for its hills and narrow alleys. There were 137 police officers there at the time, authorities said.

Police went to the scene for four of the 11 calls, a police official told reporters. It was not immediately clear why they did not deploy officers on other calls or what security measures they took upon arrival.

"When someone calls 112, it is a very urgent situation and police assistance or actions are urgently needed," said PM Han, referring to the South Korean emergency police hotline.

The transcript's public disclosure sparked further criticism of the police's misstep, which may be a key factor leading to the deadliest crash since the 2014 ferry sinking, in which 304 people died, especially high school students who drowned amid failed rescue operations.

Separately, opposition lawmakers called for the immediate dismissal of the national police chief and interior minister.

Meanwhile, National Police Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun on Tuesday admitted that crowd control at the scene was inadequate, promising a thorough internal investigation.