The country’s president declared national mourning – Everything happened in narrow streets of a district with many bars and restaurants, which were suffocatingly full of people, mainly young people
South Korean President Yoon Seok-gil declared national mourning in the wake of yesterday’s tragedy with at least 151 dead during the Halloween celebration in Seoul.
Yun expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, mostly teenagers and young adults, and wished a speedy recovery to the many injured.
#BREAKING: #SouthKorea‘s fire department said 81 people have breathing problems after the #stampede at Itaewon in #SeoulSouth Korea Saturday night when over 100 thousand revellers crammed into the place for #Halloween celebrations.#SeoulStampede pic.twitter.com/QwyWcYTj43
— Media Warrior (@MediaWarriorY) October 29, 2022
“It’s really tragic,” President Yun said in a televised address, stressing that it was “a tragedy that should not have happened.”
He assured that the government will thoroughly investigate the causes “to ensure that such an accident does not happen again in the future”.
At least 151 dead and around 150 injured are the so far accounts of the nightmarish development that the Halloween celebration in Seoulwhen hundreds of people were trampled through a maze of narrow alleys in the Itewon district, which is famous for its nightlife.
#BREAKING: Stampede in #Seoul, #SouthKorea left dozens with cardiac arrest during #Halloween Saturday night. Over a hundred thousand attended the celebrations.#SeoulStampede pic.twitter.com/y8AW5LCFgB
— Media Warrior (@MediaWarriorY) October 29, 2022
About 100,000 people, according to South Korean media estimates, had visited the district to celebrate Halloween, the first major public gathering in the capital Seoul since restrictions against the Covid-19 pandemic were lifted.
It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the coronavirus restrictions were lifted.
According to witnesses, the crowd became increasingly unruly and rowdy as the evening progressed. Then the chaos began.
Moon Ju-young, 21, said there were clear signs of trouble on the street he was on, as the crowd was too large.
Footage on social media showed hundreds of people crammed into the narrow, sloping alley, standing still as emergency workers and police tried to free them.
praying for everyone’s safety🙏#Korean accident #Seoul’s accident #死者120人 #雪国のhalloween #halloween # heart massage #心肺这些 #梨泰院の英語 #shocking #将棋倒し #Korean #Seoul #ハロローン #Korea #Seoul #梨泰院 #Itaewon #SeoulStampede #雪国사후 #Halloween pic.twitter.com/sTCFHayyyf
— dippie (매피)堀翔平 (@dippienyc) October 29, 2022
Fire officials and witnesses said people continued to pour into the alley, which was already packed to the wall. At some point those at the top fell, causing the people below to fall on top of others.
This particular district is particularly popular. Its dozens of bars and restaurants were packed Saturday for Halloween.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden sent their condolences, writing: “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured.”
With the easing of the COVID pandemic, the bar and restaurant curfew and the 10-person limit for private gatherings were lifted in April. The outdoor mask mandate was lifted in May.
President Yun held an emergency meeting with senior aides and ordered the creation of a task force to secure resources to treat the injured and begin a thorough investigation into the causes of the disaster.
The disaster is among the nation’s deadliest since the 2014 ferry sinking that killed 304 people, mostly high school students.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
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