Scenes of chaos and panic played out in the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday as a huge stampede broke out in what marked the city’s first Halloween event in three years, killing 151 people and injuring dozens. The incident took place in Seoul’s Itaewon district when partygoers wearing masks and Halloween costumes surged into a narrow alley in a nightlife area of Seoul.
A video tweeted by allkpop, a local media company that largely covers K-pop or Korean pop news, captured grim footage from the site of the incident. The footage showed people lying on the road unconscious as the rescue/fire staff pressed on their chests to give CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) in what seemed like an attempt to treat/revive them. Reports said some people suffered cardiac arrest following the incident. Also read | ‘100,000 people in 4-metre-wide alley’: How South Korea stampede took place
Some unverified videos showed police trying to contain the huge crowd at the alley, while another showed a man trying to escape the chaos that had broken out in the middle of a jam-packed road by climbing the walls. Hindustan Times could not independently verify the authenticity of these videos.
Some witnesses said that the crowd was becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as the evening deepened. Quoting Moon Ju-young, 21, who was there at the time, told Reuters there were clear signs of trouble in the alleys before the incident. “It was at least more than 10 times (more) crowded than usual,” he said.
The Halloween event was the first in three years that commenced after the country lifted Covid-19 restrictions and eased social distancing norms.
News agency AP reported that as many as 150 were injured in what was South Korea’s worst disaster in years, where an estimated 100,000 people had gathered for the festivities. Local media outlet Yonhap news agency, citing the authorities, said most of the victims are in their 20s and the officials fear the toll could rise further. Nineteen foreigners were among those killed, South Korea’s fire department told news agency AFP.
Morning visuals of the scene showed littered alleys with only police officials present at the spot.
This was Asia’s second major stampede disaster in a month. Earlier this month, 132 people were killed in Indonesia after police fired tear gas at a soccer match, causing a stampede as spectators attempted to flee.
(With agency inputs)
