According to the authorities, at least 59 people died and 150 others were injured in a crowd during Halloween celebrations in Seoul, the fire department said.
The authorities had previously announced that emergency workers had to carry out resuscitation measures for at least 50 people. Apparently, this was preceded by mass panic in Itaewon, a nightlife district in the South Korean capital. According to media reports, around a hundred thousand revelers took to the streets on the first Halloween without corona conditions since the beginning of the pandemic.
During the celebrations, a large number of people fell in a narrow alley in the city center, the fire brigade said. The accident happened late in the evening around 10:20 p.m. local time. Several people suffered cardiac arrest. Several foreigners were also taken to hospitals.
Videos distributed on social media are said to show how rescue workers and private individuals provided first aid at the scene of the accident. Photographs taken by private individuals and agencies show the dead lined up on the sidewalk.
According to his office, President Yon Suk-yeol called an emergency meeting and ordered more rescue workers to be sent to the scene of the accident. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is currently visiting Europe, is said to have announced his immediate return, according to Yonhap. The exact reasons for the tragedy were initially unclear.