INVESTIGATION INTO CROWD CRUSH

[Anchor Lead]

As two more seriously injured woman died last night and this morning, the death toll has risen to 156. A police investigation is moving into high gear to find the cause of the crush. Officers carried out the first joint examination on the crush site on Monday. They are now analyzing surveillance camera videos obtained near the site. The videos vividly show the desperation and panic among the crowds.

[Pkg]

About 10 meters away from the crush site toward Itaewon station. CCTV footage shows it's 10:06 p.m. on Saturday. Crowds clogging the alley were pushed to move. Some nine minutes later, a man told passers-by to move back, forming an X with his hands. Shortly after, police are seen rushing into the alley. This video footage obtained by KBS doesn't show the exact site of the crush. But it shows the movements in and around the accident site. Police acquired videos from some 50 surveillance cameras installed near the site. They are also closely looking into videos posted on social media before and after the tragedy. Investigators are focusing on discovering why lines of crowds began to collapse in the first place. They are also looking into claims spreading online that someone intentionally pushed those ahead on the uphill slope of the alley. They questioned some 40 people, including employees of nearby stores, witnesses and those injured in the crush.

[Soundbite] (Witness(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "It seemed some people pushed ahead a little. As one side pushed, the other must have pushed back. The crush apparently happened during the confrontation."

Police are also looking into whether there were illegal installations in the alley. Such installations could make it more difficult for pedestrians to pass through the narrow pathway, which is just 3.2 meters wide. Police deployed some 40 investigators to conduct the first joint on-site examination. A police official explained that as it seems there were complicated factors at play, they are working to find out what triggered the crush, leaving all possibilities open. Police will also probe whether the Seoul city government and the Yongsan-gu District Office took necessary measures to ensure safety in preparation for predicted surges in Halloween crowds.