Officers say many of the victims within the stampede in Seoul’s Itaewon district have been ladies and younger individuals of their 20s.
A minimum of 153 individuals, largely ladies and younger individuals of their 20s, have been killed in a chaotic stampede in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, after an enormous crowd thronged a slim avenue throughout Halloween celebrations.
One other 133 have been harm, 37 significantly, within the crowd crush that happened within the leisure district of Itaewon on Saturday night time.
The incident occurred at about 10pm native time (13:00 GMT) when giant numbers of individuals flooded a slim alley close to the Hamilton Resort, the Yonhap information company reported, citing witnesses.
“The excessive variety of casualties was the results of many being trampled in the course of the Halloween occasion,” hearth official Choi Seong-beom informed reporters on the scene on Sunday, including the loss of life toll may climb.
Lots of the victims have been ladies and younger individuals of their 20s, he stated.
Nineteen foreigners have been additionally killed, he stated. They included individuals from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway.
As of Sunday night, officers put the loss of life toll at 153 and the variety of injured individuals at 133. The ministry of the inside and security stated the loss of life rely may additional rise as 37 of the injured individuals have been in critical situation.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes moments earlier than the stampede, with the police readily available in anticipation of the Halloween occasion at instances having bother sustaining management of the crowds. Some have been trapped for greater than an hour earlier than being pulled from the crush of individuals within the alley.
Moon Ju-young, 21, informed the Reuters information company there have been clear indicators of bother within the alleys earlier than the incident. “It was no less than greater than 10 instances crowded than typical,” he stated.
“There have been so many individuals simply being pushed round and I received caught within the crowd and I couldn’t get out at first too,” 30-year-old Jeon Ga-eul informed the AFP information company. “I felt like an accident was sure to occur.”
Police confirmed dozens of individuals got cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the streets, whereas others have been taken to close by hospitals.
‘Trampled and crushed’
It was the primary Halloween occasion in Seoul in three years after the nation lifted COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing. Lots of the partygoers have been carrying masks and Halloween costumes.
Footage on social media confirmed a number of individuals, each rescue officers and personal residents, concurrently performing CPR on individuals mendacity scattered on the street. Movies confirmed dozens of individuals lined with blue plastic sheets on the roadside.
In an interview with native broadcaster YTN, Lee Beom-suk, a health care provider who administered first support to the victims, described scenes of tragedy and chaos.
“Once I first tried CPR there have been two victims mendacity on the pavement. However the quantity exploded quickly after, outnumbering first responders on the scene,” Lee stated. “Many bystanders got here to assist us with CPR.”
“It’s onerous to place in phrases to explain,” he added. “So many victims’ faces have been pale. I couldn't catch their pulse or breath and lots of of them had a bloody nostril. Once I tried CPR, I additionally pumped blood out of their mouths.”
Al Jazeera’s Musun Kim, reporting from Seoul, stated the realm is often crowded all through the night time on the weekends, however it was extra packed than typical due to Halloween events.
“[The] stampede occurred in a single small alley and plenty of individuals began to fall down and received trapped, received trampled and crushed, with some dropping consciousness,” he stated.
The Seoul metropolitan authorities, which had issued emergency textual content messages urging these within the space to swiftly return dwelling, stated it has acquired reviews of 355 lacking individuals following the catastrophe.
Some native media reported the stampede occurred after a big group of individuals rushed to an Itaewon bar after listening to an unidentified celeb visited there.
Authorities stated they have been investigating the precise explanation for the incident. President Yoon Suk-yeol presided over an emergency assembly with senior aides and on Sunday declared a interval of nationwide mourning over the catastrophe.
“That is really tragic,” Yoon stated in a press release. “A tragedy and catastrophe that ought to not have occurred happened within the coronary heart of Seoul final night time.”
US President Joe Biden and his spouse despatched their condolences and wrote: “We grieve with the individuals of the Republic of Korea and ship our greatest needs for a fast restoration to all those that have been injured.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “All our ideas are with these at the moment responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”
The catastrophe is among the many nation’s deadliest since a 2014 ferry sinking that killed 304 individuals, primarily highschool college students.
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