Students studying abroad are among the first tragic victims of a horror Halloween parade stampede in South Korea to be named .
At least 154 people were crushed to death in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon on Saturday, with scores more left injured in the aftermath.
The disaster came after thousands of people packed into a narrow alley during the city's famous Halloween festivities, causing a deadly surge. What caused the crowds to surge into the alley has not become clear.
In the hours after the incident, Chief of Yongsan Fire Department Choi Seong-beom was seen shaking as he confirmed the victims were mostly aged in their teens and 20s.
Officials have since confirmed that a total of 26 foreign nationals have died, with news reports back home identifying a number of these as students studying abroad.
Among the dead were citizens of Australia, Austria, China, France, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Norway, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
One of the dead included University of Kentucky student Anne Gieske, who had been in Seoul for the autumn semester of her nursing degree.
Her father, Dan, told NBC News in a statement that the family had been "completely devastated and heartbroken" over the loss of their daughter, describing her as "bright light loved by all."
She had set up an Instagram account to share her time in the country with her loved ones back home, with her last post showing her celebrating her 20th birthday with a cake and a selection of Korean food.
Tributes have also been paid to 23-year-old film production assistant Grace Rached from Sydney, who died in the incident while two of her friends were left in intensive care.
In an emotional TikTok video, Grace's friend Nathan Taverniti described how he "was there when she said she couldn’t breathe”.
He also blasted organisers of the event, saying the crush was "not caused by drunk people" but by "lack of planning".
Nathan said: “Nobody was willing to help. I watched as people filmed and sang and laughed while my friends were dying, along with many other people.
“I was there trying to pull people out because there was not enough police officers and nobody was doing anything to make the crowd stop."
Also killed was 24-year-old Choi Boseong, who had been in the centre of Seoul to celebrate his birthday with two friends before being caught in the stampede.
According to the New York Post, his friends had phoned his girlfriend Gabriela Pare, who lives over in the United States, upon realising he was missing.
She flew over to South Korea the following day to say goodbye after receiving news of his passing.
Officials from Kennesaw State University in the US state of Georgia meanwhile confirmed that their student Steven Blesi was among the dead.
A 20-year-old international business major, he was one of 11 students from the institution taking part in a study abroad programme. All the other students have been reported safe, the university said.
Her father described being informed of his death as like being "stabbed like a hundred million times simultaneously”, adding that he had texted him "maybe a half-hour" before the incident to tell him to "be safe" as he knew he was on a night out.
The father of 26-year-old victim Tomikawa Mei meanwhile told NHK that a policeman had picked up his daughter's phone after he called it without answer several times.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry official informed him of her death on Sunday.
Originally from Hokkaido in northern Japan, she had been in the city studying the Korean language, he said.
On Sunday, acting agencies 935 Entertainment and 9ato Entertainment confirmed that South Korean actor Lee Ji-han had been killed in the disaster.
The 24-year-old actor was known for appearing as a contestant on the reality talent show Produce 101.
"We also hoped that it wasn’t true, and we were very shocked to hear the news. The family is suffering immense grief right now, so we are being very cautious. May he rest in peace", a statement read.
Another of the victims was 24-year-old Kim Yuna, who worked as a cheerleader for professional baseball teams LG Twins and KIA Tigers.
Friends spoke of their grief after learning of the death of Ms Kim and sharing pictures of her online, saying: “I cried for a long time. I still can’t believe it.”
Kazakhstani papers have reported one of the victims was Madina Sherniyazova, 26.
Ms Sherniyazova, from the city of Aktobe in Kazakhstan, was studying in Seoul.
An old travel blog, authored by the student, described her adventures exploring South Korea.
The deputy head of her secondary school in Aktobe described her death as an "irreparable loss" She majored in Korean at Kazan Federal University in Russia.
Her mother told local Kazakh media she had spoken to her sister shortly before the tragedy, saying she was with friends and in a festive mood.
The exact cause of the crush remains unknown, but emergency officials recounted a large number of people falling down in the narrow passageway near a hotel.
Many of the dead and injured were said to have suffered agonising injuries, as witnesses described people bleeding from the mouth while receiving CPR.
Halloween events across the country scheduled for later in the weekend have been cancelled, with other large-scale events such as K-pop concerts have also been scrapped.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has promised a thorough investigation into the tragedy. It is among the country's deadliest since a 2014 ferry sinking that killed 304 people, mainly high school students.
On Monday morning, people laid flowers, drinks and candles at a small makeshift altar off an exit of the Itaewon subway station near the site of the crush.
"It doesn't matter how they died, or why they died. Those poor people, all at similar ages to my grandchildren, they died anyway," said Jung Si-hoon, a retiree and a church elder, who placed an old wooden cross at the site.
"What more should we say? We should pray for them and wish they rest in peace."
