South Korea in shock after 154 die in Halloween stampede

Devastating eye witness accounts from those caught up in the tragedy are starting to emerge, as Debi Edward reports

South Korea has been mourning the deaths of more than 150 people who were crushed in a Halloween stampede in its capital city, Seoul.

Witnesses said the crowd surge on Saturday night in the nightlife district of Itaewon caused “a hell-like” chaos as people fell on each other “like dominoes.”

The casualties, who were trapped in a narrow alley, were mostly made up of people in their 20s and 30s.

Some people were bleeding from their noses and mouths while being given CPR, witnesses said, while others clad in Halloween costumes continued to sing and dance nearby, possibly without knowing the severity.

“I still can’t believe what has happened. It was like a hell,” said Kim Mi Sung, an official at a non-profit organisation that promotes tourism in Itaewon.

Kim said she performed CPR on 10 people who were unconscious and nine of them were declared dead on the spot.

The 10 were mostly women wearing witch outfits and other Halloween costumes, Kim added.

Will and Kate sent their “love and prayers” while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the news as “horrific”, adding: “All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”

As of Monday morning, the government said it has identified 153 of the 154 dead and informed bereaved relatives of their identifications. Nearly two-thirds of the dead, 98, were women. It said 149 others remain injured.

The death count could rise farther as officials said 33 of the injured were in serious conditions. More than 80% of the dead were in their 20s or 30s and 11 were teenagers, the Interior Ministry release said. The dead also included 26 from overseas. Five of them are from Iran; four from China; four from Russia; two from the United States; two from Japan; one each from Australia, Norway, France, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka, according to the Interior Ministry.

What happened?

An estimated 100,000 people had gathered in Itaewon for the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities since the pandemic began.

The South Korean government had eased Covid-19 restrictions in recent months.

Witnesses said the streets were so densely clogged with people and slow-moving vehicles that it was practically impossible for emergency workers and ambulances to reach the alley near Hamilton Hotel swiftly.

Authorities said thousands of people have called or visited a nearby city office, reporting missing relatives and asking officials to confirm whether they were among those injured or dead after the crush.

The bodies of the dead were being kept at 42 hospitals in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province, according to Seoul City, which said it will instruct crematories to burn more bodies per day as part of plans to support funeral proceedings.

Around 100 businesses in the Hamilton Hotel area have agreed to shut down their shops through Monday to reduce the number of partygoers who would come to the streets through Halloween day.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a one-week national mourning period on Sunday and ordered flags at government buildings and public offices to fly at half-mast.

During a televised speech, he said supporting the families of the victims, including their funeral preparations, and the treatment of the injured would be a top priority for his government.

He also called for officials to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and review the safety of other large cultural and entertainment events to ensure they proceed safely.

“This is really devastating. The tragedy and disaster that need not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul amid Halloween (celebrations),” he said during the speech.

“I feel heavy hearted and cannot contain my sadness as a president responsible for the people’s lives and safety.”

It was not immediately clear what led the crowd to surge into the narrow, downhill alley. One survivor said many people fell and toppled one another “like dominoes” after they were pushed by others.

The survivor, surnamed Kim, said they were trapped for about an hour and a half before being rescued, as some people shouted “help me” and others were short of breath, according to the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper.

Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said that bodies were being sent to hospitals or a gym, where bereaved family members could identify them.

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