At least 149 people died in a crowd during Halloween celebrations in South Korea, officials said. According to the fire department, 150 other people were injured in the accident on Saturday in the capital Seoul. The condition of many of the injured is serious.
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. Eyewitnesses spoke of an unusually large crowd in the streets with chaotic scenes. The police had trouble keeping the crowds under control.
Around 10:20 p.m. local time (3:20 p.m. CEST), the celebrations culminated in one of the greatest tragedies in the country’s recent history: According to the fire department, numerous people fell in the crowd in a narrow alley in the city center. Several people suffered cardiac arrest. Several foreigners were also taken to hospitals. Many of the victims are young women between the ages of 20 and 30.
Videos distributed on social media are said to show how rescue workers and private individuals provided first aid at the scene of the accident. Photo by private individuals and agencies show dozens of victims covered with blankets and plastic sheeting. According to the Yonhap news agency, the emergency services tried to revive more than 50 people. The number of deaths could possibly continue to rise during the night, it said. According to eyewitness reports, the streets around the scene of the accident were so crowded that the relief workers had difficulty making their way through the crowds. According to Yonhap, a total of 142 rescue vehicles were deployed.
President Yoon Suk-yeol chaired an emergency meeting on Sunday night. Before that, he ordered more emergency personnel to be sent to the area and hospital beds to be prepared. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is currently visiting Europe, is said to have announced his immediate return, according to Yonhap.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed his condolences to the bereaved and victims of the Halloween tragedy in South Korea. “The tragic events in Seoul shock us deeply,” said the SPD politician on Twitter late Saturday evening. “Our thoughts are with the many victims and their families. This is a sad day for South Korea. Germany stands by their side.”
EU Council President Charles Michel was deeply shocked. His deepest sympathy goes to the families and friends of the victims of the terrible accident, the Belgian wrote on Twitter on Saturday. He wished the injured a speedy recovery. “The EU stands by your side in solidarity.” The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, made a similar statement. She was shocked by the news from the South Korean capital Seoul. “My thoughts are with the families and friends of the dead and those injured.”