At least 151 people have died and 82 have been injured in a serious and massive human stampede that occurred during a Halloween party in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, according to the latest report released by the Fire Department, which states that 19 of the deceased are foreigners.
According to the South Korean press, the accident took place when a crowd gathered on a narrow street about four meters wide, a downhill slope next to the Hamilton Hotel in the center of Itaewon.
At 10:46 p.m. on October 29, there has been a crowd accident near the Hamilton Hotel,» the South Korean Ministry of Interior’s Disaster and Safety Headquarters previously reported. Emergency services have received at least 81 calls from the Hamilton Hotel area for breathing difficulties since 11:30 pm.
An eyewitness quoted by Yonhap explained that people started to leave around 10:30 a.m. and ten minutes later «everyone suddenly started to fall and the people who were left below were crushed». Other people present have described that people were piled up in «layers» of up to five and six levels.
The figure shared at 6.00 a.m. (local time) raised the death toll by three compared to the 4.00 a.m. figure, since these people lost their lives while being treated by the medical services, and two others died a few hours later.
The authorities indicated that most of the deceased were young people around 20 years of age and that there were foreigners among the victims.
A total of 45 people died at the scene. Their bodies were temporarily transferred to Wonhyo Gymnasium and then taken to the Soonchunhyang University Hospital morgue in Yongsan.
Among the injured, 19 people are in serious condition and authorities do not rule out that the death toll could rise in the coming hours, according to Yonhap news agency.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police has already opened an investigation and the Fire Department has activated a Level Three response at 23.50 hours and sent personnel to the area, where a field hospital has already been set up with support from Seoul National University Hospital, Kyunghee University Hospital and Hanyang University Hospital.
At least 143 emergency vehicles including ambulances and fire trucks have been dispatched to the site along with 848 professional rescuers. According to the Korean news agency Yonhap, these personnel carried out the search work until 3:00 am.
Fire crews have reported the «difficulty in breathing» they experienced upon arrival in the area, when they proceeded to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers as soon as the bodies were moved to the main road. Local media have reported that friends and citizens have also made efforts to resuscitate those affected, given the large volume of victims.
The injured have been taken to Soonchunhyang University Hospital, National Medical Center, Mokdong Ewha Female University Hospital, Gangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Chungang University Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital and Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital. Soonchunhyang University Hospital has set up a dedicated morgue for the victims.
Local shopkeepers interviewed by local Yonhap explained that crowds began to gather in the area during the day and by nightfall tens of thousands of people filled the narrow streets of Itaewon.
Police had previously reported that they expected a large gathering of about 100,000 people at the Halloween party where the tragedy occurred. Officers have proceeded to close all bars and restaurants near the accident site since 1:00 am.
PRESIDENT DECLARES OFFICIAL MOURNING South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a period of official mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast «until the accident is under control», in an appearance on YTN television channel.
«It is horrible, this tragedy should never have happened (…) As president, my responsibility is the safety of the lives of citizens, so my heart is heavy and I struggle to cope with this mourning,» he said.
In addition, the president assured that the most important thing at the moment is to determine the causes of the accident in order to prevent similar incidents. «We will thoroughly investigate the case and make fundamental improvements so that similar accidents do not occur in the future,» he said in his speech reported by the Korean Times.
As soon as Suk Yeol learned of the incident, he called an emergency meeting of the Presidential Crisis Management Center in Yongsan, Seoul. The mayor of Seoul, Oh Se Hoon, has also been informed and is returning from Europe after suspending a trip in which he was scheduled to visit four countries.
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SOLIDATES WITH SEOUL U.S. President Joe Biden has extended condolences on behalf of himself and his wife, Jill Biden, to all the families who have lost loved ones in Seoul.
«We feel the Republic of Korea’s grief and send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who have been injured. The alliance between our countries has never been more vital and the bonds between our people are stronger than ever. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this difficult time,» reads the statement released by the White House.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michael, has also expressed his ‘shock’ at so many deaths during the Halloween celebrations. «My deepest condolences to all the families and friends of the victims of the terrible accident in South Korea,» he wrote on his Twitter profile. He also wished all those injured a speedy recovery and said that the European Union stands with them in solidarity.
The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who said she was shocked by the latest news from Seoul, also spoke along the same lines. «My thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives and those who have been injured,» she wrote.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his condolences on the same social network. «The tragic events in Seoul have left us in ‘shock’. Our thoughts are with the many victims and their families. It is a sad day for South Korea and Germany stands by them,» he said.
In the same vein, French President Emmanuel Macron conveyed the support of the French country to Seoul, a country for which he said he has a «moving thought» tonight.
