At least 120 people were killed and 100 injured in a crowd stampede in the South Korean capital of Seoul on Saturday night during Halloween celebrations, the fire department said.
The incident occurred in the narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel in the Itaewon District, the city’s shopping and nightlife center. Local media quoted an eyewitness who said the alley had become so crowded that rescuers could not immediately get to the victims and attempt resuscitation.
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Dozens have died in a Halloween street party crush in Seoul, South Korea. Media is reporting the number deceased to be in excess of 100. pic.twitter.com/FjfTCpmJ6D
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 29, 2022
Breaking News: About 50 people reported hurt in stampede in South Korea
Emergency officials received at least 81 calls from people in the Itaewon area saying they were having difficulty breathing.#stampede 📍#Itaewon #SouthKorea #Halloween pic.twitter.com/FnoD7z9ot4
— Prateek Pratap Singh (@PrateekPratap5) October 29, 2022
🇰🇷 SOUTH KOREA — Horror in the streets of Seoul after hundreds were trapped in a narrow street and a stampede led to dozens of cardiac arrests.
Medical teams were recorded performing CPR on many people. At least 59 dead. pic.twitter.com/uTTHK4j1CX
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 29, 2022
#BREAKING: The number of injured has risen to over 100 in the Itaewon stampede in #Seoul, according to South Korean security authorities. #SouthKorea‘s President has ordered securing enough hospital beds for the injured.#SeoulStampede pic.twitter.com/C2pwz5JXXQ
— Media Warrior (@MediaWarriorY) October 29, 2022
According to the Korea Herald, around 100,000 people flocked to the area throughout the day to celebrate the first Halloween weekend without the mask mandate and social distancing measures that were in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is not clear exactly what caused the stampede.
#BREAKING: #SouthKorea‘s fire department said 81 people have breathing problems after the #stampede at Itaewon in #Seoul, South Korea Saturday night when over 100 thousand revellers crammed into the place for #Halloween celebrations.#SeoulStampede pic.twitter.com/QwyWcYTj43
— Media Warrior (@MediaWarriorY) October 29, 2022
The victims were sent to several hospitals in the capital. News agency Yonhap reported that many of them are women in their 20s and one is a 10-year-old girl.
President Yoon Suk-yeol chaired an emergency response meeting shortly after the tragedy. “The top priority is transporting and rescuing the patients and providing prompt medical treatment for the affected people,” he said, according to a spokesperson.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has cut short his trip to Europe and decided to return to the city, officials said.
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