Thai woman dies in Itaewon crush
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Thai woman dies in Itaewon crush

A Thai woman, 27, died during the Halloween crowd surge that killed more than 150 people in Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

Spokesman Tanee Sangrat said South Korean police informed the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul that she was killed in the Saturday night tragedy in Itaewon district.

He said the woman came to Korea to learn Korean for two months and the embassy has informed her relatives and will provide help to repatriate her body.

He said Thais can call the embassy regarding the crowd surge at 010-6747-0095 or 010-3099-2955 around the clock.

A South Korean centre set up for people who have lost contact with loved ones during the tragedy can call 02-2199-8660. The country code is +82.

Thais are advised by the embassy to avoid all events held in the country in the meantime. South Korea is cancelling some events after the tragedy.

South Korea is one of the most popular destinations for Thai tourists after it lifted Covid-19 restrictions.

Some Thais posted photos of their friends on Twitter, asking for help to locate them on Saturday night when the tragedy occurred.

More than 150 people were killed in the event, as an estimated 100,000 people packed alleys and roads. The crowd surge happened at 10pm South Korean time (8pm in Thailand) on Saturday.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon yesterday expressed condolences for all parties affected by the Itaewon tragedy.

He also asked business operators organising Halloween events to take extra care regarding safety measures.

A safety assessment, in which the number of guests is taken into account, should be conducted at all celebrations to ensure event venues do not get overcrowded, he said. All safety equipment and fire exits should also be re-checked.

Khao San Road in Bangkok plans a Halloween party today to boost the tourism sector after the Covid-19 outbreak.

Sa-nga Ruengwattanakul, Khao San Road Business Association president, said the event will be held as planned with crowd control measures in place, according to Channel 3.

He said the association will hold talks with Phra Nakhon district to limit people entering the area today before the party starts.

Unlike Itaewon, the 4,800-square-metre Khao San Road can accommodate 10,000 people at a time, especially today when street vendors are prohibited from occupying the road, he said.

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