At least 151 dead, 82 injured in stampede during Halloween festivities in Seoul

A mass of largely younger individuals celebrating Halloween in Seoul turned trapped and crushed as the group surged right into a slim alley, killing at the least 151 individuals and injuring 82 others in South Korea’s worst catastrophe in years.

Emergency staff and pedestrians desperately carried out CPR on individuals mendacity within the streets after the crush within the capital’s leisure district of Itaewon on Saturday evening.

These killed or damage have been largely teenagers and other people of their 20s, in response to Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fireplace division. The useless included 19 foreigners, he mentioned, whose nationalities weren’t instantly launched. The loss of life toll may rise additional as 19 of these injured have been in crucial situation.

At the very least one U.S. citizen was injured within the stampede, the State Division advised CBS Information in a press release Saturday evening.

“We’re working with native authorities to find out if any extra U.S. residents have been affected and stand prepared to offer consular help,” the assertion learn.

Officers initially mentioned 150 individuals have been injured as of Sunday morning earlier than later reducing their tally.  

Nationwide Fireplace Company officers did not instantly clarify why the tally was diminished however mentioned emergency staff would have had a extra correct thought of the casualties as rescue operations proceeded and that among the injured would have been transformed to deaths. It was additionally attainable that a few of those that have been evenly injured had returned dwelling in a single day and have been now not counted.

An estimated 100,000 individuals had gathered in Itaewon for the nation’s greatest outside Halloween festivities because the pandemic started. The South Korean authorities eased COVID-19 restrictions in latest months. Itaewon, close to the place the previous headquarters of U.S. army forces in South Korea operated earlier than shifting out of the capital in 2018, is an expat-friendly district identified for its fashionable bars, golf equipment and eating places.  

Greater than 1,700 response personnel from throughout the nation have been deployed to the streets to assist the wounded, together with about 520 firefighters, 1,100 cops and 70 authorities staff. The Nationwide Fireplace Company individually mentioned in a press release that officers have been nonetheless making an attempt to find out the precise variety of emergency sufferers.

It was not instantly clear what led the group to surge into the slim downhill alley close to the Hamilton Lodge, a significant celebration spot in Seoul. One survivor mentioned many individuals fell and toppled each other “like dominos” after they have been being pushed by others. The survivor, surnamed Kim, mentioned they have been trapped for about an hour and a half earlier than being rescued, as some individuals shouted “Assist me!” and others have been wanting breath, in response to the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper.

One other survivor, named Lee Chang-kyu, mentioned he noticed about 5 to 6 males begin pushing others earlier than one or two started falling one after the other at the beginning of the stampede, in response to the newspaper.

The stampede is the most important catastrophe since 304 individuals, largely highschool college students, died in a ferry sinking in April 2014. The sinking uncovered lax security guidelines and regulatory failures because it was partially blamed on extreme and poorly mounted cargo and a crew poorly skilled for emergency conditions. Friday’s stampede will probably trigger public criticism of presidency officers over what they’ve performed to enhance public security requirements because the ferry catastrophe.

TV footage and images confirmed ambulance automobiles lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency staff shifting the injured in stretchers. Emergency staff and pedestrians have been additionally seen performing CPR on individuals mendacity within the streets. In a single part, paramedics have been seen checking the standing of a dozen or extra individuals who lied immobile underneath blue blankets.

In an interview with information channel YTN, Hwang Min-hyeok, one of many guests to Itaewon, mentioned it was stunning to see rows of our bodies laid down within the alley close to Hamilton Lodge. He mentioned emergency staff have been initially overwhelmed, leaving pedestrians struggling to manage CPR to the injured mendacity on the streets. Folks cried beside our bodies, he mentioned.

One other survivor in his 20s mentioned he averted being trampled as he fortunately received right into a bar whose door was open on the alley, Yonhap information company reported. A girl in her 20s surnamed Park advised Yonhap that she and others have been standing alongside the facet of the alley whereas others have been caught within the center.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a press release calling for officers to make sure swift remedy for these injured and assessment the security of the festivity websites. He additionally instructed the Well being Ministry to swiftly deploy catastrophe medical help groups and safe beds in close by hospital to deal with the injured.

The Seoul Metropolitan Authorities issued emergency textual content messages urging individuals within the space to swiftly return dwelling.

“Jill and I ship our deepest condolences to the households who misplaced family members in Seoul,” President Biden mentioned in a press release Saturday night. “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. The Alliance between our two nations has by no means been extra vibrant or extra important – and the ties between our persons are stronger than ever. The US stands with the Republic of Korea throughout this tragic time.”  

There have been lethal stampedes in South Korea prior to now. In 2005, 11 individuals have been killed and round 60 others have been injured in a pop live performance stampede within the southern metropolis of Sangju. In 1992, a teenage lady died and dozens of others have been injured throughout a stampede at a Seoul live performance by the U.S. pop group New Children on the Block.