More than 150 people were trampled to death in Seoul’s Itaewo district during a Halloween celebration. According to Ambassador Pekka Metso, the tragedy touches Koreans very deeply.
Finland’s ambassador to South Korea Pekka Metso tells that he drove through the main street of the Itaewo district early on Saturday and that he was terrified of the crowd even then.
– I was really horrified by how many people there were on the sidewalks. At six o’clock it was already frighteningly full, says Metso.
Later, in the same area, more than 150 people were trampled to death in a crowd that arose in connection with the Halloween celebration. A major historical accident has shocked the entire country.
– This is a great tragedy. This is very touching because the victims were so young. The young people went to celebrate Halloween and now it ended tragically, says Metso.
No Finns among the dead
President of South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol has announced that a thorough investigation will be launched into the causes of the accident. Ambassador Pekka Metso says that there are various rumors about the causes of the accident.
– Something has happened there that has made young people move to a certain place at the same time. During Halloween, there are well-known performers and singers in the area, and social media can easily spread the word.
19 of the dead were foreigners. According to the embassy’s current information, there are no Finns in the crowd. According to Metso’s information, the Korean authorities have identified most of the victims of the accident.
According to Metso, there are a lot of Finnish students living in Seoul, who must have been interested in the Halloween event. According to STT’s data, there were 210 Finns in the country at the time of the incident who filed a travel declaration.
– We have been working very hard all day with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the emergency services. The entire Finnish-speaking staff of the embassy has been involved in assisting Finns in the country.