Last minute: Authorities reported that 149 people lost their lives in a stampede during the Halloween celebration in Itaewon district, one of the entertainment centers of Seoul. Officials stated that 2 of the dead and 15 of the injured were foreign nationals, but they did not provide information about their nationality.
INVESTIGATION FOR THE REASON
Choi Cheon-sik, an official from South Korea’s National Fire Service, stated that they thought the stampede occurred as a result of the people behind the celebration pushing the crowd in a narrow street. Stating that 150 people were injured in the stampede, Choi stated that 50 of these people had sudden cardiac arrest.
THE COUNTRY IS CONCERNED BY INCREASING DEAD COUNT
Choi stated that more than 800 emergency personnel and around 140 emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene. Authorities reported that the majority of those who lost their lives were young people in their 20s. It is feared that the death toll will rise.
On the other hand, according to some reports in the local media, the stampede occurred after people flocked to an entertainment venue in Itaewon with rumors of an undisclosed celebrity coming.
The reports claimed that about 100,000 people attended the Halloween celebration on the streets of Itaewon.