South Korea Halloween stampede: Toll rises to 151

Seoul, Oct 29: The death toll due to stampede at a packed Halloween event in central Seoul, South Korea has climbed to 151, a report by news agency Yonhap said.

Choi Cheon-sik, an official from the National Fire Agency, said the death toll could rise and that an unspecified number among the injured were in critical conditions. He said 74 of the dead have been sent to hospitals while the bodies of the remaining 46 who had been kept on the streets were being transported to a nearby gym so that workers could identify them.

Officials say it was believed that people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.

The crowd, estimated to be around 1 lakh, had gathered on Saturday night in Itaewon, a central district of the megacity which has hundreds of shops and some particularly narrow streets, local news outlets said.

Several video shows fire authorities administrating CPR as of 11.30 pm on Saturday. In one section, paramedics were seen checking the status of a dozen or more people who lied motionless under blue blankets. The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued emergency text messages urging people in the area to swiftly return home.

Choi said it was believed that people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul. He said more than 400 emergency workers and 140 vehicles from around the nation, including all available personnel in Seoul, were deployed to the streets to treat the injured.

Emergency officials received at least 81 calls from people in the Itaewon area saying they were having difficulty breathing.

Multiple people, apparently among those injured, were seen covered in yellow blankets. Police also confirmed that dozens of people were being given CPR on Itaewon streets while many others have been taken to nearby hospitals. A local police officer said he was also informed that a stampede occurred on Itaewon's streets where a crowd of people gathered for Halloween festivities. The officer requested anonymity, saying the details of the incident was still under investigation, as reported by news agency PTI.

Some local media reports earlier said the crush happened after a large number of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing an unidentified celebrity visited there.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for those injured and review the safety of the festivity sites. He also instructed the Health Ministry to swiftly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds in nearby hospital to treat the injured. Local media said around 100,000 people flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities, which were the biggest since the start of the pandemic following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in recent months.

Excitement was heightened as this is the first Halloween after two years of muted celebrations due to Covid restrictions.