Dozens of blue sheets, under which heads and legs can be seen. Seoul Saturday night turned into a tragedy and now dozens of deaths are feared due to a gigantic and sudden mob. Itaewon, one of the best-known nightlife districts of the South Korean capital, has turned into a giant trap for the approximately 100,000 people who stormed the area to celebrate Halloween on Saturday. An event celebrated in these parts for some time and that this year it was possible to return to celebrate outdoors without masks and without social distancing after the anti Covid restrictions of the last two years.
Health authorities said over a hundred injured were reported, with dozens allegedly suffering from cardiac arrest. In 81 they would have “breathing difficulties”. Photos and videos circulated on social media portend a tragic toll, with body bags and several emergency workers who practice cardiopulmonary resuscitation to unconscious people. While other rescuers try to free others trapped.
A text message was sent to all cell phones in the Yongsan district inviting citizens to return home as soon as possible due to “an emergency incident near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon”. Choi Cheon-sik, an official with the South Korean National Fire Department, said the incident occurred when the crowd pushed into a narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel, one of the center’s gravitational centers. nightlife area of the South Korean capital. It is not clear what caused the crowd, but certainly the number of those present was much, too high. According to some local media, the tragedy occurred after a large number of people rushed into a bar after learning that an unspecified celebrity would be present.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called an emergency meeting and urged officials to review safety protocols for Halloween party venues. The president also ordered the health ministry to deploy disaster relief teams and secure hospital beds for the injured. Over 400 emergency workers from all over the country have been sent to the capital to help treat the injured. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, on an official visit to Europe, has canceled the rest of his trip and is returning to the capital in light of the tragedy.