2 firefighters who responded to Itaewon crowd crush posthumously recognized as official victims

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 a late business owner who had helped with the rescue efforts on the night of the crowd crush as an official victim. The business owner, who had also suffered from PTSD, was found dead earlier this year.

Yonhap