At least 146 dead, 150 injured in Halloween stampede in Seoul, South Korea

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Senior News Editor since 2004

At least 146 dead, 150 injured in Halloween stampede in Seoul, South Korea​



By
Dana Kennedy


October 29, 2022 2:03pm
Updated













At least 146 people were killed and as many as 150 more injured in a stampede during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon district of Seoul, South Korea — the first outdoor, mask-free celebration of the holiday since the 2020 pandemic, local media reported.
There were about 100,000 revelers out celebrating in the popular nightlife area, according to Yonhap News.
Videos posted online showed people in fancy costumes being pushed through the narrow streets. Some appeared to climb walls on either side in an attempt to escape the deadly crush.
Other videos from the scene show body bags, emergency workers performing CPR, and rescuers trying to pull unconscious people trapped beneath others after the fatal crowd surge.


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Seoul South Korea Halloween stampede
At least 59 people have died after a stampede at Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea. AFP via Getty Images

Seoul, South Korea Halloween Stampede
The incident occurred around 10:20 pm. AP

Crowds are seen around the area, where dozens of people suffered cardiac arrest, in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul
Crowds are seen around the area, where dozens of people suffered cardiac arrest, in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul. AFP via Getty Images

Rescue workers carry injuried people at the street near the scene in Seoul, South Korea
Rescue workers carry injuried people at the street near the scene in Seoul, South Korea. AP



Pictures showed people lying in the streets near Itaewon’s Hamilton hotel receiving first aid and being taken to ambulances.


Government officials sent emergency text messages urging people in the area to return home. More than 400 emergency workers and 140 vehicles were deployed.


Some celebrants were completely trapped in the elbow-to-elbow crowd, the Washington Post reported. The noise was too loud for many to call for help, the outlet said.




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Seoul Halloween stampede
At least 59 people are dead after a stampede at a Halloween celebration in South Korea. AP

A woman is attended to as dozens of people suffered cardiac arrest in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul
A woman is attended to as dozens of people suffered cardiac arrest in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul. AFP via Getty Images

Seoul, South Korea Halloween Stampede
Officials treating injured people after a stampede in Seoul, South Korea. Getty Images

Seoul South Korea Halloween Stampede
The death and injury toll may rise. AP



South Korea’s president Yoon Suk-yeol has called an emergency meeting, the BBC reported Saturday.


The Itaewon area was too crowded and it felt unsafe, some wrote on social media earlier in the evening.




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Partygoers walk by ambulances at the scene.
Some social media users wrote that the Itaewon area was too crowded and it felt unsafe. REUTERS

A man sits amid the bodies of victims believed to have suffered from cardiac arrest.
A man sits amid the bodies of victims believed to have suffered from cardiac arrest. AFP via Getty Images

People sat on the streets after being rescued by officials.
People sat on the streets after being rescued by officials. REUTERS

seoul-halloween-stampede-104.jpg
Medical officials transported one of the victims into an ambulance. AFP via Getty Images

A rescue team member helped to move the body of one of the victims onto a stretcher.
A rescue team member helped to move the body of one of the victims onto a stretcher. REUTERS



Dozens of dead bodies were in the streets, Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, told reporters, noting just 13 dead bodies had been sent to the hospital.


“The area is still chaotic so we are still trying to figure out the exact number of people injured,” Moon Hyun-joo, an official at the National Fire Agency said.


At least some of the victims were foreigners, according to reports.




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Seoul South Korea Halloween Stampede
Officials say the scene is still chaotic. AP

A man receives medical attention, after dozens of people suffered cardiac arrest during Halloween celebrations, in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul
A man receives medical attention, after dozens of people suffered cardiac arrest during Halloween celebrations, in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul. AFP via Getty Images

Seoul, South Korea Halloween Stampede
Rescue workers and firefighters try to rescue people at the street near the scene in Seoul, South Korea. AP

Seoul, South Korea Halloween Stampede
At least 150 people were injured. AFP via Getty Images



President Yon Suk-yeol presided over an emergency meeting with senior aides and ordered emergency medical teams to the area, his office said.


The cause of the stampede is under investigation, authorities said.
 
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