A 16-Year-Old Survives Itaewon and Then Sends One Final Text

On October 29, 2022, a Halloween celebration in Itaewon turned deadly when 159 people were crushed to death in a narrow alley. There was no running, no explosion, no fire, and no weapon, yet people died standing upright, unable to breathe. How could such a tragedy unfold without any visible warning signs?

In this episode, we analyze the Itaewon crowd surge, focusing on the physics of how a dense crowd can become lethal even without a stampede. We explore the stories of ordinary young people caught in an unimaginable situation, and the critical distinction between what was visible and what was physically happening.

Event: Itaewon Crowd Surge
Date: October 29, 2022
Location: Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea
Deaths: 159
Cause: Asphyxiation from crowd compression

- 256 pairs of shoes were left behind in the street, pulled from feet by the pressure of surrounding bodies.
- The cumulative force pressing against an individual body in a dense crowd can exceed 1,000 pounds.
- Unconsciousness from compression occurs in approximately 30 seconds.
- Death from asphyxiation occurs in approximately 6 minutes.
- Raghu, a 21-year-old, called his friend Kim, stating he was having difficulty breathing and trying to help a woman who had fainted.

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