SEOUL: At least 120 people were killed in a stampede Saturday night in a nightlife area of the South Korean capital, Seoul, when a huge crowd celebrating Halloween spilled into a street.
Another 100 people were injured in the crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district, Yongsan Fire Station Chief Choi Sung-beom said in a briefing at the scene.
Officials said that many of the injured are in critical condition and are undergoing emergency treatment.
The incident took place around 10:20 pm. A large number of people fell into the street during the festivities, Choi said. Many party goers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes in the moments before the stampede, with police at times having trouble controlling the crowds given the Halloween festivities.
Social media footage showed hundreds of people crushed and immobilized in the narrow, sloping street as emergency personnel and police tried to evacuate them.
A woman was heard screaming in English on social media: “Oh my god, oh my god, Jesus fucking Christ.”
Other footage showed chaotic scenes as dozens of firefighters and civilians were treated for unconsciousness.
A makeshift morgue was set up in a building adjacent to the scene, a Reuters witness said. According to eyewitnesses, more than two dozen bodies were later taken out on stretchers.
President Yoon Suk-yol presided over an emergency meeting with senior aides.
“The area is still chaotic so we are still trying to determine the exact number of injured,” said Moon Hyun Joo, an official with the National Fire Agency.
Foreigners are also among those shifted to nearby hospitals.
Officials said they are investigating the exact cause of the incident.
