At least 151 people have been killed in a chaotic stampede after a huge crowd thronged a narrow street during Halloween celebrations.in Seoul, South Korea’s capital.
South Korea Stampede
It was gathered that 82 people were injured, 19 of them seriously, in the crowd crush that took place in the entertainment district of Itaewon on Saturday night, officials said.
Emergency workers and pedestrians desperately performed CPR on people lying in the streets after the crash in the capital’s leisure district of Itaewon on Saturday night.
Those killed or hurt were mostly teens and people in their 20s, according to Choi Seong-beom, the chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department.
He said the dead included 19 foreigners whose nationalities weren’t immediately released. The death toll could rise further as 19 of those injured were in critical condition.
It was not immediately clear what led the crowd to surge into the narrow downhill alley near the Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.
A survivor, named Lee Chang-kyu, said he saw about five to six men start pushing others before one or two began falling one by one at the start of the stampede, according to the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper.
Another survivor, surnamed Kim, said many people fell and toppled one another “like dominos” after they were being pushed by others.
Kim said they were trapped for about an hour and a half before being rescued, as some people shouted “Help me!” and others were short of breath.
TV footage and photos showed ambulance vehicles lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency workers moving the injured in stretchers.
Emergency workers and pedestrians were also seen performing CPR on people lying in the streets. In one section, paramedics were seen checking the status of a dozen or more people who lay motionless under blue blankets.
In an interview with news channel YTN, Hwang Min-hyeok, one of the visitors to Itaewon, said it was shocking to see rows of bodies laid down in the alley near Hamilton Hotel.
He said emergency workers were initially overwhelmed, leaving pedestrians struggling to administer CPR to the injured lying on the streets. People cried beside bodies, he said.
Another survivor in his 20s said he avoided being trampled as he luckily got into a bar whose door was open at the alley, Yonhap news agency reported.
A woman in her 20s surnamed Park told Yonhap that she and others were standing along the side of the alley while others were caught in the middle.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for those injured and review the safety of the festivity sites.
He also instructed the Health Ministry to swiftly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds in nearby hospital to treat the injured.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued emergency text messages urging people in the area to swiftly return home.
In a statement of condolence, US President Joe Biden expressed his sympathies to the family members of the deceased, and also wished the injured quick recovery.
“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul,” President Biden said in the statement Saturday evening.
“We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.
“The Alliance between our two countries has never been more vibrant or more vital – and the ties between our people are stronger than ever. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”
KanyiDaily had recently reported how 125 people died after a deadly stampede at a game in Indonesia between Arema FC and rivals, Persebaya Surabaya.
