151 killed in stampede at Halloween festivities
Narrow alley in trendy Seoul area becomes a crush
SEOUL — A mass of mostly young people celebrating Halloween festivities in Seoul became trapped and crushed as the crowd surged into a narrow alley, killing at least 151 people and injuring 82 others in South Korea’s worst disaster in years.
Emergency workers and pedestrians desperately performed CPR on people lying in the streets after the crush in the capital’s leisure district of Itaewon Saturday night.
Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said that the death toll could rise further and that an unspecified number among the injured were in critical condition.
An estimated 100,000 people had gathered in Itaewon for the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities since the pandemic began. The South Korean government eased COVID-19 restrictions in recent months. Itaewon, near where the former headquarters of US military forces in South Korea operated before moving out of the capital in 2018, is known for its trendy bars, clubs, and restaurants.
Officials initially said 150 people were injured as of Sunday morning before later lowering their tally.
National Fire Agency officials didn’t immediately explain why the tally was reduced but said emergency workers would havehad a more accurate idea of the casualties as rescue operations proceeded and that some of the injured would have been converted to deaths. It was also possible that some of those who were lightly injured had returned home overnight and were no longer counted.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a national mourning period on Sunday and ordered flags at government buildings and public offices to be raised at half-staff. During a televised speech, Yoon said supporting the families of the victims,including their funeral preparations, and the treatment of the injured would be a top priority for his government.
“This is really devastating. The tragedy and disaster that need not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul amid Halloween(celebrations),” Yoon said during the speech. “I feel heavy hearted and cannot contain my sadness as a president responsible for the people’s lives and safety.”
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. One survivor said many people fell and toppled one another “like dominoes” after they were being pushed by others. The survivor, surnamed 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, according to the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper.
Another survivor, named Lee Chang-kyu, said he saw about five to six men first push others before one or two began falling at the start of the stampede, according to the newspaper.
In an interview with news channel YTN, Hwang Minhyeok, a visitor to Itaewon, said it was shocking to see rows of bodies near the hotel. He said emergency workers were initially overwhelmed, leaving pedestrians struggling to administer CPR to the injured lying on the streets. People wailed beside the bodies of their friends, he said.