Shock & grief in South Korea as stampede toll rises to 153

 Seoul, 

Concerned relatives raced to hospitals in search of their loved ones on Sunday as South Korea mourned the death of over 150 people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, who got trapped and crushed after a huge Halloween party crowd surged into a narrow alley in a nightlife district in Seoul.

97 women among dead

• Ninety-seven of the dead were women and 56 were men. More than 80% of the dead are in their 20s and 30s, but at least four were teenagers
• At least 20 of the dead are foreigners from China, Russia, Iran and elsewhere. There is one American among the dead, the Interior Ministry said
• An estimated 1 lakh people had gathered in Itaewon for the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities since the pandemic began

One-week mourning

• South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a one-week mourning on Sunday and ordered flags at government buildings and offices to fly at half-staff
• During a televised speech, Yoon 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

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

“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. Kim said the 10 were mostly women wearing witch outfits and other Halloween costumes. The crowd surge is the country’s worst disaster in years. As of Sunday evening, officials put the death toll at 153 and the number of injured people at 133.