South Korea: Rescue workers work at the scene where a stampede during Halloween celebrations injured several people, in the popular Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea, October 30, 2022.
• South Korea witnessed one of its worst disasters in years on Sunday as a stampede killed hundreds in the capital, Seoul.
• It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing.
South Korea witnessed one of the worst disasters in years in the capital Seoul on Sunday, with hundreds of people killed in a stampede. Most young people had gathered in Seoul for Halloween celebrations, but in a jiffy they were trapped and crushed as the crowd drove into a narrow street, killing at least 151 people and injuring 82 others. According to the chief of the fire department, most of those killed or injured were teenagers and 20-year-olds.
• It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing. Many of the party-goers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.
• Many of the victims were women in their 20s, while foreigners killed included people from China, Iran, Uzbekistan and Norway, he said.
How the stampede happened in South Korea
The tragic incident happened at Seoul party spot - Hamilton Hotel. However, it is not clear what caused the surge in the narrow downhill alley.
Fire officials and eyewitnesses said people continued to enter the street, as it was already wall-to-wall, when people at the top of the slope collapsed, sending those below them to pounce on others.
One survivor said that several people fell and threw each other "like dominoes" when they were pushed by others.
The survivor, nicknamed Kim, said they were stranded for about an hour and a half before being rescued, as some people shouted "Help me!" And the others were short of breath.
Another survivor, Lee Chang-kyu, said he saw about five to six people push others before one or two fell.
One survivor, aged 20, said he avoided trampling by managing to break into a bar whose door was open in the street.
Other worst disasters in South Korea
• It was the deadliest crushing disaster in South Korean history. In 2005, 11 people were killed and about 60 others were injured at a pop concert in the southern city of Sanju.
• In 1960, 31 people were crushed to death on the steps of a train station due to a huge crowd to board the train during the Lunar New Year holidays.
• In April 2014, 304 people, mostly high school students, died when a boat sank.
• South Korean President Yoon Suk-yol declared a period of national mourning on Sunday. "This is really sad," he said in a statement. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened last night happened in the heart of Seoul".
Condolences from world leaders
• US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden sent their condolences, writing: "We mourn with the people of the Republic of Korea and wish a speedy recovery to all those injured."
• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: "All our condolences are with those currently responding and all South Koreans in this hour of crisis."
• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also condoled on Twitter. He wrote, "Deeply shocked at the loss of so many young lives due to the stampede in Seoul. Our condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones. We stand in solidarity with the Republic of Korea during this difficult time "
