On the night of the 29th, an American doctor who visited Seoul on vacation on the day of the Itaewon disaster helped the rescue operation at the scene, The Washington Post (WP) reported.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 30th local time, Sophia Akhiyat, 31, a dermatologist who majored in general medicine, was on vacation at a club in Itaewon with her friend A.
Later, around 11 p.m., those who left the club confirmed that the disaster had occurred and that they were moving the casualties to a larger area.
Akiyat, an incumbent doctor, checked the pulses of the collapsed people and performed CPR.
A police officer at the scene found out that he was a doctor and asked for help to accompany him to the alley where he was cleaning up the accident.
"It is believed that most of the people we were helping were either unconscious or already dead," Akiyat told The Post.
Mr. A, who was helping rescue with Akiyat, explained the situation at the time, "The entrance to the alley where the accident occurred on the main road was clogged with crowds, so it was difficult for an ambulance to enter even the casualties."
In addition, Mr. A said, "It was mostly civilians, not medical staff, who were saving the casualties," she also explained the dire situation at the time.
Meanwhile, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of 6 am today (31st), a total of 303 people were injured due to the Itaewon disaster, including 154 deaths, 33 serious injuries, and 116 light injuries. Announcing a national mourning period.
(Photo = Yonhap News)