A first statement from the authorities spoke of 59 deaths. South Korean news agency Yonhap later reported, citing official information, that the number had increased to 120. 100 others were injured, some seriously. The condition of some of the injured is very serious. The number of deaths may therefore continue to rise.
It is still unclear what exactly led to the tragic incident at night in Seoul’s Itaewon district. At that time, many hundreds of people crowded the streets of the popular nightlife district. Local media reported that around 100,000 people had gathered for the Halloween celebrations. In the crowd, there may have been mass panic.
Portal/Kim Hong-Ji Hundreds of emergency services were called to Seoul’s popular nightlife district
Shortly after the incident, the fire brigade said that a large number of people had “fallen” into a narrow alley – and that around 50 people were being treated for “cardiac arrest”. In South Korea, it is common for local medical authorities to speak of “cardiac arrest” until death is officially declared by a doctor.
Videos of resuscitation measures
Videos and images circulating on social media show rescuers performing CPR on several people. Other recordings showed helpers trying to free people who were trapped under other people. Body bags were also seen on the streets. The BBC quoted a reporter at the scene as saying that ambulances had removed many of the dead.
Hundreds of rescue teams from across the country were sent to the streets to treat the wounded. The Seoul Metropolitan Government sent a text message to people in the area to hurry home. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called an emergency meeting. Seoul Mayor Oh Se Hoon, who is currently on a trip to Europe, reportedly canceled and returned to South Korea.
Schallenberg expresses sympathy
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said on Twitter (originally in English): “I have just returned from South Korea and am deeply shocked by the tragic mass panic in Seoul tonight. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and all who were wounded in the stampede”.
Schallenberg visited South Korea as part of a trip that lasted from Friday to Wednesday in recent days. The occasion was the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Austria and Korea, which were promoted to a “strategic partnership” last year.