South Korea declares national period of mourning after Halloween crowd crush kills 151

[MenInG]

South Korea's president has declared a national period of mourning over a stampede during Halloween festivities - as the number of deaths has risen to 151.

President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed condolences to the victims and wished for a speedy recovery for the injured in a statement on Sunday, before visiting the scene of the crowd crush.

"This is truly tragic," he said. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul last night."

South Korean media reported that a total of 151 people were killed in the crowd crush in a packed nightlife area in Seoul on Saturday night, while at least 82 were injured.

Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul's Yongsan fire department, said the number of deaths could rise and that an unspecified number of the injured were in critical condition - with at least 50 people being treated for cardiac arrest.

The victims were crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween celebrations near the Hamilton Hotel in the Itaewon area.

Most of the bodies have been sent to hospitals, while the rest are being taken to a nearby gym so that they can be identified, he added.

A fire official said most of the dead are in their teens and 20s, and that 19 of the injured are in serious condition, according to Reuters news agency.

Footage on social media showed many victims lying on the pavement as workers from the emergency services and bystanders performed CPR in an effort to revive them.

All available emergency services personnel in Seoul were deployed to the streets to treat the injured following the stampede - with the National Fire Agency saying more than 1,700 responders attended the scene.

It is unclear what prompted the crowd surge, although some local media reports said a large number of people had rushed to the area after hearing an unidentified celebrity had been there.

Seoul's mayor Oh Se-hoon was visiting Europe but decided to return home following the news.

President Yoon chaired an emergency meeting following the stampede.

He said in a statement that officials should ensure swift treatment for those injured and that the safety of festivity sites should be reviewed.

Local media said around 100,000 people headed to Itaewon for the Halloween festivities, which were the biggest in years following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in recent months.

Several world leaders have sent their condolences to South Korea, with US President Joe Biden saying: "Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the news as "horrific", adding: "All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time."

While Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "thinking of everyone affected by this tragedy, and wishing a fast and full recovery to those who were injured".

SKY

 

[daytrader]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and wish for a quick recovery to all those who were injured. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time.</p>— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1586484308809744386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

How does this happen? I don't get it.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am saddened at the tragic death of 146 people in a stampede in Seoul. Our thoughts & prayers are with the government & people of South Korea.</p>— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1586638230765830145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Survivors of the deadly Seoul Halloween crush have been speaking of their horror at watching friends and strangers suffocate in an alleyway as dance music blared into the night.

At least 153 people died when crowds thronged the Itaewon district of South Korea's capital.

"People began pushing from behind, it was like a wave - there was nothing you could do," Nuhyil Ahammed told the BBC.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I can still see people dying in front of me."

The 32-year-old, who spoke to the BBC on Sunday afternoon, said he was caught in the crush and there was nothing anyone could have done to save others or themselves.

Distressing videos of the event have spread across social media. Mr Ahammed himself shared his traumatising experience on Instagram.

The footage shows people, mostly teens or in their 20s, packed into a narrow, sloped alley so tightly they couldn't move. They then started being pushed in every direction. Some were dragged to the floor. Others couldn't breathe.

Itaewon is one of the most popular neighbourhoods in Seoul for a night out. Locals and foreigners flock there every weekend, but Halloween is one of the busiest nights of the year. The area was hosting its first unmasked Halloween celebrations since Covid when the disaster happened.

An estimated 100,000 people came to celebrate there on Saturday. For the first time since Covid, gathering sizes were not limited and people did not need to wear masks outside.

But South Korea's Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said officials did not anticipate such crowds in Itaewon's narrow streets.

"The expected size of the crowd in Itaewon did not deviate much from the previous years, so I understand that the personnel were deployed at a similar scale as before."

He said many officers had in fact been deployed elsewhere in the capital on Saturday evening.

"I am not certain about the exact number of police personnel deployed [to Itaewon] but a considerable number had been deployed at Gwanghwamun where a large crowd was expected for a protest," he told a briefing.

At least 82 people were also injured in the disaster. Mr Lee said some victims remained unidentified because they were below the age of 17 or did not have an adult ID.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has called for an investigation into the cause of the crush and declared a period of national mourning.



BBC

 

[James]

This is horrible. RIP to all those lost.

 

[sweep_shot]

Another tragic incident.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun.

 

[ex-q-zit]

South Korea Cops Blame "Misjudgement" For 2022 Halloween Stampede

South Korea's police on Friday said a lack of preparations and an inadequate response were the main causes of the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, wrapping up a monthslong investigation into the tragedy that killed 159 people.

The annual festivities in the popular nightlife area of Itaewon turned deadly on Oct. 29 after tens of thousands of young revellers crowded into narrow alleyways to celebrate the first Halloween free of COVID curbs in three years.

Authorities, including the police, did not devise safety measures even though dense crowds made an accident likely, and did not take appropriate steps after calls for rescue started coming in, said Sohn Je-han, who led the investigation.

"Misjudgement of the situation, delay in sharing information and lack of cooperation among related agencies accumulated to cause large casualties," Sohn told reporters.

The investigation team has referred 23 people, including the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to prosecutors.

The bereaved families and opposition lawmakers have criticised the police investigation for failing to hold top officials accountable.

"We have so many questions unanswered," Lee Jong-chul, head of a group representing the bereaved families, told reporters as he arrived at a prosecutors' office in Seoul. "We came here to give a victim's statement, expecting a better, expanded investigation."

NDTV