A Halloween party in South Korea turned into a scene of real horror on Saturday, as stamps left more than 146 people dead, according to the latest reports about Seoul .
The nightmare hit the capital’s posh Itaewon neighborhood, where up to 100,000 people attended the first Halloween party since the easing of pandemic safety precautions.
Authorities initially reported The incident resulted in only “heartbreaks”—but in a press conference, the local fire chief put the death toll at 146, with another 150 injured. The figures may still be growing.
Choi Seong-beom, director of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said that the bodies are being sent to hospitals or gyms, where family members can identify them and most of the dead and The injured were all in their 20s, AP reported.
More than 1,700 responders across the country have been deployed, including 520 firefighters, 1,100 police officers and 70 government employees.
The National Fire Agency said in a statement that all of Seoul’s available emergency personnel had been mobilized.
The exact cause of the disaster is still unclear, but Associated Press quote An unnamed police source said that the sight of a celebrity may have triggered a sudden rush towards a bar.
Rescue team members wait on stretchers to remove bodies from the scene where dozens of people were killed in a stampede during the Halloween festival in Seoul.
KIM HONG-JI
The AP reported that one survivor said people fell and toppled others “like raccoons” after they were pushed by others in a narrow downhill alley.
Multiple reports have placed the tragedy in the vicinity of the Hamilton Hotel, one famous destination in the city.
Rescue team members move a body at the scene where dozens of people were injured in a stampede during the Halloween festival in Seoul.
KIM HONG-JI
Videos posted on social media believed to be around the time of the incident show streets congested with a multinational crowd.
Others later showed bodies motionless on the ground as rescue teams rushed and many attempted CPR.
The Itaewon tragedy is the worst disaster in South Korea outside of war since the Sewol ferry sinking in 2014, which killed more than 300 people.
