A fun celebration turned horrific Saturday night when a crowd surged into an alley, causing a stampede in Seoul, South Korea.
The Deadly Night in Seoul
149 people, mainly teens and young adults, died in a stampede in Seoul, South Korea, this Halloween weekend. The tragic incident occurred when a massive crowd was funneled into a small alleyway. As a result, people started dying.
Furthermore, 65 more people died in the panic in the Itaewon district following the surge. Amongst the injured, 19 are in critical condition. Meaning the body count could continue to rise. Choi Sung-beom, leader of the Yongsan Fire Station, confirmed these details in a briefing yesterday.
The disaster comes to a newly reopened South Korea since the last three Halloween celebrations didn’t take place due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Eyewitnesses report that the crowd had become angry and anxious the farther the evening went. Around 10:20 pm, the deadly stampede occurred.
Witnesses Speak
“A number of people fell during a Halloween festival, and we have a large number of casualties,” Choi stated. He also noted that many victims were young women and those near the nightclub.
Moon Ju-young, a key eyewitness, told Reuters things were clearly getting out of hand in the alleys before the stampede began. “It was at least more than 10 times crowded than usual,” he commented.
Several witnesses also said police had difficulty controlling the crowd and maintaining order.
Videos captured during the disaster show countless partygoers squeezed into the thin alleyway, crushed and likely unable to breathe. Additional footage displays police and paramedics trying to aid countless unconscious victims.
Fire department officials claim people attempted to escape into the alley when it was already filled to capacity. This caused those at the top of the slope to fall, creating a domino effect. A nearby building turned into a temporary morgue to accommodate the sudden large amount of bodies. According to witnesses, dozens of bodies came into the area for further identification by government officials.
Sending Prayers
“You would see big crowds at Christmas and fireworks … but this was several ten-folds bigger than any of that,” 21-year-old Park Jung-hoon told Reuters. Among South Korea’s districts, Itaewon is most popular with young people and foreigners due to its lively party scene. However, in recent years Itaewon businesses have been declining due to lingering fear of covid 19.
Two of the 149 confirmed dead were American tourists. The investigation to find the exact cause of the stampede is still ongoing at this time.
President Joe Biden released a statement sending his condolences Saturday (Oct 29). “Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea,” the president stated. “And send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured…The Alliance between our two countries has never been more vibrant or more vital – and the ties between our people are stronger than ever. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time.”
Written by Dreema Carrington
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