SEOUL, South Korea — About 146 people were killed and another 150 injured following a stampede at a Halloween party in Seoul’s Itaewon area, South Korean fire and police authorities said.
The stampede took place Saturday night in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon, after a large number of people entered a narrow alley behind the Hamilton Hotel, according to televised briefings. Pictures and videos posted online showed people lying in the streets receiving first aid and being taken to ambulances.
President Yoon Suk Yeol held another emergency meeting Sunday, Yonhap reported, following an earlier briefing in the immediate aftermath of the stampede. He ordered ministries to provide swift first aid and treatment to those injured in the accident and to review safety measures.
The stampeded occurred as more than 100,000 people were estimated to have gathered in Itaewon for the annual Halloween festivities, the first since South Korea last month lifted Covid-19 restrictions requiring outdoor mask-wearing.
The exact cause of the stampede is currently being investigated and authorities are working to identify the dead, authorities said in a briefing early Sunday broadcast live on YTN. About 1,700 emergency workers had been dispatched to Itaewon, with 144 vehicles mobilized.
Nearby clubs had been searched and no injured or dead were found there, authorities said. There was no sign that any narcotics were involved in the stampede.
Yonhap reported earlier that emergency officials were treating roughly 50 people for cardiac arrest after receiving at least 81 calls from people.
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(With assistance from Sangmi Cha.)
