Thousands gathered on a narrow street in South Korea’s capital Seoul to celebrate Halloween where a chaotic stampede resulted in the death of at least 146 people. Reports say that more than 150 were hurt.
Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said the death toll could rise as emergency workers continued to transport the injured to hospitals across Seoul following the crowd crush in the entertainment district of Itaewon on Saturday night.
Officials said many people were crushed to death at 10:20pm (13:20 GMT) after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.
Many of the victims were women in their 20s, Choi said.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes moments before the stampede, with the police on hand in anticipation of the Halloween event at times having trouble maintaining control of the crowds. Some were trapped for more than an hour before being pulled from the crush of people in the alley.
Police confirmed dozens of people were given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the streets, while others were taken to nearby hospitals.
“The area is still chaotic so we are still trying to figure out the exact number of people injured,” said Moon Hyun-joo, another official at the National Fire Agency.
It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted COVID restrictions and social distancing. Many of the party-goers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.
Footage on social media showed multiple people, both rescue officials and private citizens, simultaneously performing CPR on people lying scattered in the street. Videos showed dozens of people covered with blue plastic sheets at the roadside.