Nearly 150 killed in Halloween stampede in Seoul
Pray for Itaewon
Rest in peace to the victim in Itaewon
SEOUL, South Korea – At least 149 people were killed and scores more were injured in a stampede at a packed Halloween event in central Seoul late Saturday, officials said, in one of South Korea’s worst peacetime accidents.
Firefighters who were dispatched after receiving 119 reports from the night of the 29th to the early morning of the 30th performed CPR on people lying on the road floor complaining of breathing difficulties. Not only firefighters and police officers but also citizens tried hard to pressure the hearts of unconscious people, massage their limbs, and return their breaths.
Dozens of ambulances were parked one after another at the scene. The transporters who were to be taken to a nearby hospital were loaded into the vehicle in bare feet. Some of the people who could not be saved by CPR were taken to nearby hospitals and gymnasiums by ambulance from around 2 a.m. on the 30th. The process of verifying personal information about the casualties was also initiated at the same time.
The relatively minor injuries were lying on the floor with their faces covered with blankets or clothes near Itaewon Station. A man in his 20s at the scene of the accident said, "I think I fainted about an hour ago. I don't remember well," he said.
The tragedy at the time of the accident reported by witnesses was terrible.
Rumors spread quickly that a famous BJ came somewhere, and among the people who flocked to see it, someone fell down in front of him on the downhill road. It is said that people kept flooding in. Some people said their faces changed quickly. Suddenly, people started pushing because I didn't go in front of them. When everyone started pushing, he said, "My center was leaning and fell down," and when my body was pressed, I couldn't breathe, so I was holding my tiptoe. It is said that he held hands with the person next to him. People said they were screaming that people here were dying.
A witness was also posted on social media. One Twitter user said, "I just came out of my life," adding, "People pushed me up on the road from the club alley on the steep road in Itaewon." At first, there was still space, but over time, I pushed it from above as if it was a two-way confrontation," he wrote. He also said, "YouTuber and celebrities came, so the main street road was jammed," and added, "People chased after me, saying, 'Wow, it's a celebrity!" "There were people screaming to get out of the way, but I also saw people taking selfies in the middle of the road."
At the time of the accident, there was also a voice of protest that the non-cooperation of nearby businesses increased the number of casualties. One citizen said, "The bars put tables on the street and people trying to get out were tangled," adding, "When people collapsed, we evacuated to a nearby store, but it was time to close, causing more damage." Another citizen said, "There were many injuries in the narrow, railed alley. "You can take the elevator down, so I went up to where the chin was, but the store guard blocked it," he said.
At around 10:15 p.m., the fire department said, "I'm going to die of pressure. There are about 10 people underground," a report was received. The reporter asked for help, saying, "People are in disorder and are likely to get hurt." Around that time, a large number of citizens collapsed as crowds flocked to Itaewon at once, and the scene was simply a mess of people.
The devastation of Halloween Day, where a large crowd gathered in three years due to the spread of COVID-19, was a foretold talent. On the evening of the 29th, the Itaewon area attracted so many people that there was no room to step on. The police prayed at the scene from around 8 p.m. that day, but it was useless. Last year, there was a ban on gatherings after 10 p.m. In the case of now, it is the largest crowd ever because it has been three years and weekends.
Citizens who witnessed the accident in front of their eyes were shocked and could not take their steps. Police and fire officials blocked citizens from entering near Itaewon Station, but it was not easy to control due to the crowds that flocked early. Some foreigners even had scuffles with police officers who blocked their way to and from. Citizens wearing various costumes for Halloween were able to leave the scene one by one after a long time after grasping the surrounding situation with their mobile phones.
The number of foreign deaths was counted as 19. Nationality was identified as Iran, Uzbekistan, China, and Norway. Regarding the reason for the increase in foreign deaths from the previous announcement, Choi Sung-beom, head of Yongsan Fire Station, said, "The deaths of Southeast Asian nationals, including Chinese and Iranians, were initially considered Korean, but identification confirmed them as foreign deaths."
Among the deaths, 54 were men and 97 were women. Most of the deaths were in their teens and 20s.
The 151 dead were transferred to 35 funeral halls and morgue. He was transferred to Soonchunhyang University, Konkuk University Hospital, Goyang Myongji Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital near the accident site.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident through CCTV analysis at the time, with 149 people killed in a crush accident in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the night of the 29th.
