According to reports, when the stampede in Itaewon, Seoul, 100,000 people gathered around the business district to celebrate the first Halloween without masks since the new crown epidemic.
A stampede occurred in Itaewon, a well-known business district in Seoul, South Korea. Emergency services said at least 151 people were killed, including 3 Chinese nationals among the 19 foreign victims.
Local officials in Seoul said 82 people were known to have been injured and the death toll could still rise.
The Consular Affairs Office of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea confirmed on Sunday (October 30) that three Chinese citizens have been confirmed dead in a stampede in Itaewon, Seoul on the evening of the 29th.
The Consular Section of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea stated that the embassy has asked the South Korean side to take care of the aftermath of the Chinese deceased, and to get in touch with the family of the deceased, expressing condolences to them and providing active assistance.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the number of foreign victims has risen to 19, including citizens of China, Iran, Uzbekistan and Norway.
It was the deadliest accident in South Korea since the sinking of the Sewol in 2014, which killed 304 people.
image source,Reuters
A man is at the scene receiving medical attention from members of the rescue team after the trampling.
image source,Getty Images
The South Korean government said it would “activate all available emergency medical systems to provide timely medical assistance to the wounded.”
The trampling accident occurred in a narrow alley with a 4-meter-wide steep slope near the Hamilton Hotel on the World Food Street in Itaewon. The cause of the stampede is currently under investigation.
According to statistics from the South Korean Fire Department, as of 9 a.m. Sunday (October 30), 151 people have been killed and 82 injured in the stampede. Of the dead, 97 were women and 54 were men.
Firefighters said the incident occurred at 22:22 Seoul time (13:22 GMT) on Saturday (October 29). According to reports, about 100,000 people gathered around the business district to celebrate the first Halloween without masks since the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic.
image source,Reuters
The trampling accident occurred in a narrow alley with a 4-meter-wide steep slope near the Hamilton Hotel on the World Food Street in Itaewon. The cause of the stampede is currently under investigation.
Video from the scene shows emergency workers performing CPR on a person who fell in the stampede. BBC Seoul camera reporter Hosu Lee saw multiple bodies being carried away.
image source,Reuters
After the stampede in Itaewon, South Korean President Yoon Sek-yue delivered a national speech and went to the scene of the accident.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-hye called an emergency meeting on the Itaewon stampede and delivered a national speech, announcing a national mourning period.
Yin Xiyue said the government will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and instructed relevant departments to implement emergency inspections of activities in various places.
Yonhap News Agency quoted Yin Xiyue as saying that the tragic accident made him “heartbroken and extremely sad”. He said, “Pray for the blessings of the victims, wish the injured a speedy recovery, and express deep condolences to the bereaved families.”
U.S. President Joe Biden has extended his “deepest condolences” to South Korea’s “bereaved families” over the Seoul Halloween tragedy. “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and extend our best wishes to all those injured and wish them a speedy recovery,” he said.
“The United States stands with the Republic of Korea at this tragic time,” Biden said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expressed his “deepest condolences” to South Korea.