South Korea in national mourning after deadly Halloween crowd crush

At least killed 153 people, including 19 foreigners. Relatives look for missing family members after a crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul

Seoul: Officials said at least 153 people were killed and 103 others were injured in a crowd surge Saturday night during Halloween festivities in a popular nightlife district, one of the country’s worst disasters that will likely raise questions about public safety standards. According to Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, the majority of the victims were in their late teens and early twenties. A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Seoul confirmed to NBC News on Sunday that two American citizens were among the dead. “Our staff in Seoul and colleagues in the US are working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to the victims and families of last night’s incident,” they added.

They did not provide any information about the victims’ ages or identities.

The other foreign victims were from China, Iran, France, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Norway, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Austria, and Kazakhstan, according to the Yongsan fire department.

seoul official statement

According to the fire department update, 23 of the injured are in critical condition, while the remaining 79 have less severe injuries.

According to officials, the crowd had gathered in the narrow alley in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood to celebrate Halloween. The incident was first reported around 10:15 p.m. local time on Saturday.

President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a period of national mourning in a televised address Sunday morning, according to a text briefing from his office.

“Last night, a tragedy and disaster that should never have happened occurred in the middle of Seoul celebrating Halloween,” Yoon explained.

“As the president responsible for our people’s lives and safety, I have a heavy heart, and the sorrow is too much to bear,” he continued.

Yoon arrived on the scene in Itaewon shortly after the address and briefly toured the alley where the surge occurred. He walked away without speaking to any reporters.

Though initially described as a stampede, the video appears to show a crowd surge, or a wave of people pushing their way through an overcrowded crowd.

In an earlier televised briefing, an Itaewon Fire Station official stated that 21 people had suffered cardiac arrest during the surge, and Choi stated that bodies were being transported to hospitals or a gym where bereaved family members could identify them.

As dawn broke in Itaewon, a sense of calm descended on the scene of the tragedy. Stragglers in costume wandered down streets cordoned off with emergency tape. While police blocked off the entrances to the alley where the disaster occurred, emergency vehicles stood idle, sirens blinking.

Some Halloween revelers sat stunned on the nearby sidewalk, still processing the events of the night before.

Lee Da-eum, 25, said she was in a nearby club when she learned of the accident outside.

“I arrived early and could already see (Itaewon) becoming overcrowded,” Lee explained. “After hearing the news, my mother began calling and texting.” She was worried because she knew I was coming.”

It was the country’s worst disaster since 304 people, mostly high school students, died in an April 2014 ferry sinking. The sinking exposed lax safety rules and regulatory failures, as it was partly blamed on excessive and poorly fastened cargo, as well as a crew that was ill-prepared for emergency situations.

International response

World leaders, including those from the United States, France, Canada, the U.K. and Germany, shared their condolences and words of support for South Korea, and wished the survivors a fast recovery.

“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday. “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.”