By: Demi Conteh
At least 153 people were killed and 133 others were injured in South Korea's biggest disaster in years when a crowd of primarily young people celebrating Halloween in Seoul were trapped and crushed. After the Saturday night congestion in Itaewon, the capital's entertainment centre, emergency personnel and pedestrians gave CPR to victims laying in the streets. Choi Seong-beom, chief of the Yongsan fire department in Seoul, stated that the majority of those killed or injured were teenagers and adults in their 20s. According to the Ministry of the Interior, at least some of the deceased were foreigners, though their nationalities were not immediately disclosed. Given that several of the injured were in serious condition, the death toll could increase further.
Officials later revised their estimate after initially reporting 150 injuries as of Sunday morning. The National Fire Agency did not immediately explain why the number was lower but claimed that as rescue operations continued, emergency personnel would have had a more accurate sense of the casualties and that some of the injured would convert to deaths. It was also possible that some of the people who had suffered minor wounds had gone home the previous night and were no longer included in the count. Itaewon, a neighbourhood that welcomes expats, is known for its popular bars, clubs, and restaurants, as well as the old headquarters of the United States military troops in South Korea operated before leaving the capital in 2018. Over 1,700 response personnel from all over the nation, including about 520 firefighters, 1,100 police officers, and 70 government employees, were sent to the streets to aid the injured. The precise number of emergency patients is still being calculated, according to a second statement from the National Fire Agency. Since the pandemic started, Itaewon has hosted the largest outdoor Halloween celebrations in the nation, with an estimated 100,000 visitors.
What prompted the mob to pour into the small, downhill lane close to the Hamilton Hotel, a popular Seoul nightlife destination, was not immediately apparent. One witness claimed that after being pushed by others, numerous individuals collapsed and toppled one another "like dominos." According to the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper, the survivor, who went by the name of Kim, claimed they were imprisoned for nearly an hour and a half before being freed. During that time, some people yelled "Help me!" and others gasped for air. According to the newspaper, Lee Chang-kyu, another witness, claimed that at the beginning of the stampede he saw five to six men shoving each other before one or two started to fall one by one. In a statement, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged officials to guarantee that individuals who were hurt received prompt medical attention and to assess the festival locations' security. Additionally, he gave the Health Ministry instructions to promptly dispatch teams of medical professionals for disaster relief and reserve beds in a neighbouring hospital for the injured. Emergency text messages were sent out by the Seoul Metropolitan Government requesting that locals hurry back home.
President Biden released a statement Saturday night 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. The alliance between our two countries has never been more vibrant or more vital — and the ties between our people are stronger than ever. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time. " In the past, there have been fatal stampedes in South Korea. In 2005, a stampede at a pop performance in the southern city of Sangju resulted in 11 fatalities and about 60 injuries. A teenage girl lost her life and numerous others were hurt in a stampede at a 1992 New Kids on the Block concert in Seoul.
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