Seoul, October 29
At least 120 persons were killed and 100 injured in a stampede in a central district of the South Korean capital Seoul during Halloween festivities on Saturday night, an official said.
The incident took place at about 10.20 pm (13.20 GMT). A large number of people fell down a narrow alley during the Halloween event, Yongsan fire station head Choi Sung-beom said.
The number of casualties could rise as the rescue effort was still under way. “The area is chaotic and we are trying to figure out the exact number of people injured,” a National Fire Agency official said.
President Yon Suk-yeol presided over an emergency meeting with senior aides and ordered emergency medical teams to the area, his office said. Authorities said they were investigating the exact cause of the incident.
Officials say it was believed that people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul. More than 400 emergency workers and 140 vehicles from around the nation, including all available personnel in Seoul, were deployed to the streets to treat the injured.
The National Fire Agency separately said in a statement that officials were still trying to determine the exact number of emergency patients.
TV footage and photos from the scene showed ambulance vehicles lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency workers moving the injured in stretchers. Emergency workers and pedestrians were also seen performing CPR on people lying in the streets. In one section, paramedics were seen checking the status of a dozen or more people who lied motionless under blue blankets. — Agencies
