Several people celebrating Halloween in Seoul quickly became trapped and crushed as a crowd surged through a narrow alley. According to authorities, at least 153 people were injured and 133 others in South Korea were injured. The incident is now considered the worst disaster in years. Several pedestrians and emergency workers perform CPR on those who were lying on the streets after being crushed in the capital district of Itaewon.
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Authorities stated that those killed or hurt were mostly teenagers and people in their 20s. According to Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Youngsan fire department, some of those who died included foreigners. Their nationalities were not immediately released. They did note that the death toll could rise further as some of those who were injured are in critical condition. According to the state department, at least two United States citizens were killed in the Stampede. Officials had initially stated that 150 people were injured as of Sunday morning but later lowered their tally.
At Least 153 Dead, 133 Injured in Halloween Stampede in Seoul
The National Fire agency didn’t immediately explain why the tally was reduced. But they noted that emergency workers would have a better accurate idea of the casualties as rescue operations proceed. They also say that some of those injured were converted to death. It was also possible that those who were lightly injured had returned home overnight.
There were an estimated 100,000 people gathered in Itaewon to celebrate the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities.
Halloween Stampede in Seoul
At the site of the incident, there was more than 1,700 Response Personnel from across the country were deployed to help the wounded. This included 1,100 police officers, 520 firefighters, and 70 government workers. The National Fire agency is still trying to determine the exact number of all emergency patients.
It still isn’t clear what led the crowd to surge into the downhill alley but one Survivor said that people fell and toppled over each other like Dominos. The Stampede is now the biggest disaster since a ferry sinking accident in April 2014 in which 304 high school students died.