Seoul Halloween stampede: Death toll rises to 151, at least 82 injured
Seoul (South Korea), October 30: In South Korea's worst disaster in years, a crowd of mostly young people celebrating Halloween in Seoul became trapped and crushed as the crowd surged into a narrow alley, killing at least 151 people and injuring 82 others.
Choi Seong-beom, the head of the Yongsan fire department, said during a press conference that the death toll from Saturday's accident had risen to 151, including 19 foreigners. Foreign nationals killed in the incident are said to be from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway, according to Choi.
According to the agency, victims in their 20s were the age group most affected by the horrific Seoul Halloween stampede. Furthermore, the agency said Sunday that it had received about 270 reports of missing people related to the deadly stampede during Halloween parties in the Itaewon district, citing the Seoul metropolitan government.
The stampede reportedly happened after a large group of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing an unidentified celebrity visited there, the local media reported. Visuals that were shared on social media showed several people being assisted by rescue officials and private citizens at the scene, and numerous ones performing CPR on people lying in poor condition on the streets.
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According to local officials, the crowded Halloween celebrations in South Korea's capital Seoul took place after covid restrictions were lifted. More than a lakh people attended the festivities, and the number of casualties is expected to rise further.
"Emergency officials received at least 81 calls from people with breathing difficulty," according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
During Halloween festivities, a large crowd pushed forward on a narrow street, resulting in dozens of people needing first aid. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol directed that an emergency medical team be dispatched to the area and that hospital beds be prepared to minimise casualties, according to his office.
Many people had difficulty breathing during the chaotic stampede, and dozens were seen performing CPR on people who were found lifeless on the streets after the incident. According to officials, South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol presided over an emergency response meeting on the deadly stampede on Sunday.
"Shortly after the accident, Yoon came to the presidential office in Yongsan and presided over a response meeting related to the Seoul Itaewon Halloween accident," the presidential office added.
"The top priority is transporting and rescuing the patients, as well as providing prompt medical treatment for the affected people," Yoon was quoted as saying by local media.
As the investigation continues, authorities are still looking into the exact cause of the accident.
Following the crowd surge that resulted in fatalities, emergency personnel were dispatched. Firefighters and police officers were also dispatched to Seoul's Itaewon neighbourhood to help control the situation.
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-PTC News
