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| Special police investigators enter the Yongsan Ward office in charge of the Itaewon district in Seoul to seize materials, Nov. 8. Yonhap |
A special investigation team raided the office of the national police chief and dozens of other offices Tuesday as part of an investigation into the deadly Itaewon crowd crush that killed at least 156 people.
A total of 55 offices were raided, including the offices of National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun and Kim Kwang-ho, the chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), according to officials.
Other locations include offices of senior SMPA intelligence and situation monitoring officers, the Yongsan Police Station, Yongsan Ward office chief Park Hee-young, the Seoul Metropolitan Fire Disaster Headquarters and the Yongsan Fire Station.
The Seoul Metro headquarters and the Itaewon Subway Station were also searched.
Police and fire authorities, as well as the Yongsan Ward office, have been under fire following revelations there had been warning signs before the deadly accident on Oct. 29, but they did little to prevent it or to respond in a timely manner.
Lee Im-jae, ex-chief of the Yongsan Police Station, Yongsan Ward office chief Park Hee-young, and two other senior police and fire officials have been booked for an investigation on charges of professional negligence resulting in death in connection with the deadly crowd collapse. (Yonhap)
