Seoul Halloween tragedy death toll rising: 146 killed, 150 injured after crowd surge

The death toll continues to rise after a Halloween crowd stampede in the capital of Seoul, South Korea early today.

Early reports put deaths and injuries in the dozens; officials now say at least 146 people have been killed and 150 more injured as they were crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the capital.

Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said the death toll could continue to rise and an unspecified number among the injured were in critical conditions following the stampede in the leisure district of Itaewon on Saturday night local time.

He said 74 of the dead had been sent to hospitals while the bodies of the remaining 46 who had been kept on the streets were being transported to a nearby gym so workers could identify them.

Officials say people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.

More than 800 emergency workers and police officers from around the nation, including all available personnel in Seoul, were deployed to the streets to treat the injured.

The National Fire Agency separately said in a statement that officials were still trying to determine the exact number of emergency patients.

Ambulances and rescue workers arrive at the scene of a crowd crush in Seoul, South Korea, early on Sunday, where more than 100 people had been killed and dozens injured during Halloween festivities. Photo / AP

TV footage and photos from the scene showed ambulance vehicles lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency workers moving the injured in stretchers. Emergency workers and pedestrians were also seen performing CPR on people lying in the streets. Multiple people, apparently among those injured, were seen covered in yellow blankets.

Police also confirmed that dozens of people were being given CPR on Itaewon streets while many others have been taken to nearby hospitals.

A local police officer said he was also informed that a stampede occurred on Itaewon’s streets where a crowd of people gathered for Halloween festivities. The officer requested anonymity, saying the details of the incident was still under investigation.

Injuried people are helped on the street near the scene in Seoul, South Korea, early on Sunday. Photo / AP

Some local media reports earlier said the crush happened after a large number of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing an unidentified celebrity visited there.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for those injured and review the safety of the festivity sites. He also instructed the Health Ministry to swiftly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds in nearby hospital to treat the injured.

Local media said around 100,000 people flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities, which were the biggest in years after the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in recent months. - AP

Rescue workers carry injured people to ambulances. Photo / AP