South Korea in mourning after crowd surge kills no less than 153 at Halloween occasion

Involved relations raced to hospitals seeking their family members Sunday as South Korea mourned the deaths of greater than 150 individuals, largely of their 20s and 30s, who bought trapped and crushed after an enormous Halloween occasion crowd surged right into a slender alley in a nightlife district in Seoul.

Witnesses stated the group surge Saturday night time within the Itaewon space prompted “a hell-like” chaos as individuals fell on one another “like dominoes.” Some individuals have been bleeding from their noses and mouths whereas being given CPR, witnesses stated, whereas others clad in Halloween costumes continued to sing and dance close by, presumably with out understanding the severity of the state of affairs.

“I nonetheless can’t consider what has occurred. It was like a hell,” stated Kim Mi Sung, an official at a nonprofit group that promotes tourism in Itaewon.

Kim stated she carried out CPR on 10 individuals who have been unconscious and 9 of them have been declared useless on the spot. Kim stated the ten have been largely girls carrying witch outfits and different Halloween costumes.

The group surge is the nation’s worst catastrophe in years. As of Sunday night, officers put the demise toll at 153 and the variety of injured individuals at 133. The Ministry of the Inside and Security stated the demise rely might additional rise as 37 of the injured individuals have been in severe circumstances.

Ninety-seven of the useless have been girls and 56 have been males. Greater than 80 per cent of the useless are of their 20s and 30s, however no less than 4 have been youngsters.

Not less than 20 of the useless are foreigners from China, Russia, Iran and elsewhere. There’s one American among the many useless, the Inside Ministry stated in a launch.

An estimated 100,000 individuals had gathered in Itaewon for the nation’s largest out of doors Halloween festivities for the reason that pandemic started. The South Korean authorities had eased COVID-19 restrictions in current months.

Witnesses stated the streets have been so densely clogged with individuals and slow-moving automobiles that it was virtually inconceivable for emergency employees and ambulances to succeed in the alley close to Hamilton Lodge swiftly.

Authorities stated 1000’s of individuals have referred to as or visited a close-by metropolis workplace, reporting lacking relations and asking officers to substantiate whether or not they have been amongst these injured or useless after the crush.

The our bodies of the useless have been being stored at 42 hospitals in Seoul and close by Gyeonggi province, in line with Seoul Metropolis, which stated it can instruct crematories to burn extra our bodies per day as a part of plans to help funeral proceedings.

Round 100 companies within the Hamilton Lodge space have agreed to close down their retailers by way of Monday to cut back the variety of partygoers who would come to the streets by way of Halloween day.

Whereas Halloween isn’t a conventional vacation in South Korea — the place kids not often go trick-or-treating — it’s nonetheless a serious attraction for younger adults, and costume events at bars and golf equipment have turn into vastly common in recent times.

Itaewon, close to the place the previous headquarters of U.S. navy forces in South Korea operated for many years earlier than shifting out of the capital in 2018, is an expat-friendly district recognized for its fashionable bars, golf equipment and eating places. It’s the town’s marquee Halloween vacation spot.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a one-week nationwide mourning interval on Sunday and ordered flags at authorities buildings and public workplaces to fly at half-staff. Throughout a televised speech, Yoon stated supporting the households of the victims, together with their funeral preparations, and the therapy of the injured can be a high precedence for his authorities.

He additionally referred to as for officers to totally examine the reason for the accident and assessment the security of different giant cultural and leisure occasions to make sure they proceed safely.

“That is actually devastating. The tragedy and catastrophe that needn’t have occurred passed off within the coronary heart of Seoul amid Halloween (celebrations),” Yoon stated through the speech. “I really feel heavy hearted and can’t comprise my unhappiness as a president chargeable for the individuals’s lives and security.”

After the speech, Yoon visited the Itaewon alley the place the catastrophe occurred. Native TV footage confirmed Yoon inspecting the alley stuffed with trash and being briefed by emergency officers.

It was not instantly clear what led the group to surge into the slender, downhill alley. One survivor stated many individuals fell and toppled each other “like dominoes” after they have been pushed by others.

The survivor, surnamed Kim, stated they have been trapped for about an hour and a half earlier than being rescued, as some individuals shouted “Assist me!” and others have been wanting breath, in line with the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper.

One other survivor, Lee Chang-kyu, stated he noticed about 5 – 6 males push others earlier than one or two started falling, in line with the newspaper.

In an interview with information channel YTN, Hwang Min-hyeok, a customer to Itaewon, stated it was surprising to see rows of our bodies close to the resort. He stated emergency employees have been initially overwhelmed, leaving pedestrians struggling to manage CPR to the injured mendacity on the streets. Individuals wailed beside the our bodies of their pals, he stated.

A person in his 20s stated he averted being trampled by managing to get right into a bar whose door was open within the alley, Yonhap information company reported. A girl in her 20s surnamed Park informed Yonhap that she and others have been standing alongside the facet of the alley whereas others caught in the midst of the alley had no escape.

Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fireplace division, stated that our bodies have been being despatched to hospitals or a gymnasium, the place bereaved members of the family might determine them.

World leaders supplied condolences, together with Pope Francis.

“We pray the Risen Lord additionally for these — particularly younger individuals — who died final night time in Seoul, because of the tragic penalties of a sudden crush,” Francis stated after his Sunday’s Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Sq., inviting the group to wish for the victims.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted that “All our ideas are with these at the moment responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.” Jake Sullivan, the U.S. nationwide safety adviser, tweeted that studies of the catastrophe have been “heartbreaking” and stated Washington “stands prepared to offer the Republic of Korea with any help it wants.”

Among the many 20 international useless are 4 from China; three from Russia; two from Iran; and one every from Vietnam, Austria, Norway, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and the US. The Inside Ministry stated it wasn’t knowledgeable of the nationalities of the 4 different foreigners.

The Japanese Overseas Ministry stated two of its nationals have been among the many useless, whereas the French Overseas Ministry stated one French nationwide additionally died through the Itaewon tragedy.

The final South Korean catastrophe this lethal additionally hit younger individuals the toughest. In April 2014, 304 individuals, largely highschool college students, died in a ferry sinking. The sinking uncovered lax security guidelines and regulatory failures. It was partially blamed on extreme and poorly mounted cargo and a crew poorly skilled for emergency conditions.

Saturday’s deaths will doubtless draw public scrutiny of what authorities officers have accomplished to enhance public security requirements for the reason that ferry catastrophe.

This was the deadliest crushing catastrophe in South Korean historical past. In 2005, 11 individuals have been killed and round 60 others have been injured at a pop live performance within the southern metropolis of Sangju.

In 1960, 31 individuals died after being crushed on the steps of a practice station as giant crowds rushed to board a practice through the Lunar New 12 months holidays.

It was additionally Asia’s second main crushing catastrophe in a month. On Oct. 1, police in Indonesia fired tear fuel at a soccer match, inflicting a crush that killed 132 individuals as spectators tried to flee.

Greater than 1,700 response personnel from throughout the nation have been deployed to the streets to assist the wounded, together with about 520 firefighters, 1,100 law enforcement officials and 70 authorities employees. The Nationwide Hearth Company individually stated in an announcement that officers have been nonetheless attempting to find out the precise variety of emergency sufferers.