At least 120 people were killed and 100 others injured when they were crushed by a large crowd advancing on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the capital Seoul, South Korean officials said.
Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan Fire Department, said the death toll could rise and that an unspecified number of the injured were in critical condition.
He said 74 of the dead have been sent to hospitals while the bodies of the remaining 46 left on the street were taken to a nearby gym so workers could identify them.
Officials say people were believed to have been crushed to death after a large crowd began advancing in a narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.
More than 800 emergency workers and police from around the country, including all available personnel in Seoul, were deployed on the streets to treat the injured.
Emergency responders arrive at the scene in Seoul on Sunday. More than 800 emergency workers and police from around the country, including all available personnel in Seoul, were deployed on the streets to treat the injured. (Kim Hong-ji/Reuters)
The National Fire Agency said separately in a statement that officials were still trying to determine the exact number of emergency patients.
Television footage and photographs showed ambulances lined up in the streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency workers carrying the injured on stretchers. Emergency workers and pedestrians were also seen performing CPR on people lying in the street.
In one section, paramedics were seen checking the condition of a dozen or more people who lay motionless under blue blankets.
Police, who were restricting traffic in nearby areas to speed up transport of the injured to hospitals across the city, also confirmed that dozens of people were performing CPR on the streets of Itaewon. The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued emergency text messages urging people in the area to return home quickly.
An alley is cordoned off by authorities in Seoul on Sunday. Officials say people were believed to have been crushed to death after a large crowd began advancing in a narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul. (Kim Hong-ji/Reuters)
Some local media reports earlier said the crush occurred after a large number of people rushed to a bar in Itaewon after hearing an unidentified celebrity was visiting.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement asking officials to ensure prompt treatment for the injured and review the security of the party venues. He also ordered the Ministry of Health to quickly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds at the nearby hospital to treat the injured.
Local media said around 100,000 people took to the streets of Itaewon for the Halloween festivities, which were the largest since the start of the pandemic after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the last months
A screenshot obtained from social media video shows a dense crowd during Halloween festivities in Seoul on Sunday. Local media said around 100,000 people attended, the largest turnout since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (@DABAKLUSA/Reuters)