SEOUL: At least 146 people were killed in a crush when a huge crowd celebrating Halloween surged into an alley in a night life area of the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday night, emergency officials said.
A further 150 people were injured in the melee in Seoul's Itaewon district, Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene.
Many of the injured were in serious condition and receiving emergency treatment, the officials said.
It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted COVID restrictions and social distancing. Many of the party-goers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.
Some witnesses described the crowd becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as the evening deepened. The incident took place at about 10:20 p.m. (1320 GMT).
"A number of people fell during a Halloween festival, and we have a large number of casualties," Choi said. Many of those killed were near a nightclub.
Many of the victims were women in their twenties, Choi said.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes moments before the stampede, with the police on hand in anticipation of the Halloween event at times having trouble maintaining control of the crowds.
Moon Ju-young, 21, said there were clear signs of trouble in the alleys before the incident.
"It was at least more than 10 times crowded than usual," he told Reuters.
Social media footage showed hundreds of people packed in the narrow, sloped alley crushed and immobile as emergency officials and police tried to pull them to free.
One woman heard on a social media post cries out in English: "Oh my God, oh my God, Jesus fucking Christ."
Choi, the Yongsan district fire chief, said all the deaths were likely from the crush in the single narrow alley.
Other footage showed chaotic scenes of fire officials and citizens treating dozens of people who appeared to be unconscious.
An unnamed woman who said she was the mother of a survivor said her daughter and others were trapped for more than an hour before being pulled from the crush of people in the alley.
A Reuters witness said a make-shift morgue was set up in a building adjacent to the scene. About four dozen bodies were carried out later on wheeled stretchers and moved to a government facility to identify the victims, according to the witness.
The Itaewon district is popular with young South Koreans and expatriates alike, its dozens of bars and restaurants packed on Saturday for Halloween after businesses had suffered a sharp decline over three years of the pandemic.
"You would see big crowds at Christmas and fireworks...but this was several ten-folds bigger than any of that," Park Jung-hoon, 21, told Reuters from the scene.
Foreigners were among those transferred to nearby hospitals.
"The area is still chaotic so we are still trying to figure out the exact number of people injured," said Moon Hyun-joo, an official at the National Fire Agency.
With the easing of the COVID pandemic, curfews on bars and restaurants and a limit of 10 people for private gatherings were lifted in April. An outdoor mask mandate was dropped in May.
Authorities said they were investigating the exact cause of the incident. President Yoon Suk-yeol presided over an emergency meeting with senior aides.
Reuters
Sat Oct 29 2022
![At least 146 killed in stampede at Halloween event in South Korea At least 146 killed in stampede at Halloween event in South Korea](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-10/61667061528_SouthKoreaHallowee.jpg)
Rescue workers and firefighters work on the scene of a crushing accident in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. (Lee Ji-eun/Yonhap via AP)
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).
![Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: Polis keluarkan hasil siasatan minggu ini Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: Polis keluarkan hasil siasatan minggu ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-10/51667202812_SEOUL.jpg)
Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: Polis keluarkan hasil siasatan minggu ini
Unit polis khas yang ditugaskan menyiasat kejadian rempuhan maut di Itaewon akan mendedahkan hasil siasatan pada minggu ini.
![Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: Seorang rakyat Malaysia cedera, tiada yang terkorban Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: Seorang rakyat Malaysia cedera, tiada yang terkorban](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-10/51667202812_SEOUL.jpg)
Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: Seorang rakyat Malaysia cedera, tiada yang terkorban
Kementerian Luar Negeri harini mengesahkan tiada warganegara Malaysia yang terkorban dalam insiden rempuhan di Itaewon, Republik Korea.
![Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: 149 maut, 76 cedera dalam rempuhan di Seoul Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: 149 maut, 76 cedera dalam rempuhan di Seoul](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-10/81667077874_stampede.jpg)
Tragedi Halloween Itaewon: 149 maut, 76 cedera dalam rempuhan di Seoul
Ia merupakan acara Halloween pertama di Seoul dalam tempoh tiga tahun selepas negara itu menarik balik sekatan COVID dan penjarakan sosial.
![Puluhan terkena serangan jantung di sambutan Halloween Puluhan terkena serangan jantung di sambutan Halloween](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-10/61667061528_SouthKoreaHallowee.jpg)
Puluhan terkena serangan jantung di sambutan Halloween
Mangsa dihimpit orang ramai yang saling bertolakan di sebuah lorong sempit semasa sambutan Halloween di Seoul.
![Halloween: Kostum, topeng pembunuh dan awet 17 lelaki Jeffrey Dahmer dilarang dijual Halloween: Kostum, topeng pembunuh dan awet 17 lelaki Jeffrey Dahmer dilarang dijual](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-10/61666757785_DAHMER.jpg)
Halloween: Kostum, topeng pembunuh dan awet 17 lelaki Jeffrey Dahmer dilarang dijual
Kostum dengan tema pembunuh bersiri Dahmer dilarang dijual termasuk di platform jual beli online eBay.
![5 maut, 6 cedera insiden tembakan di kelab malam Panama 5 maut, 6 cedera insiden tembakan di kelab malam Panama](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2021-10/81635554506_shooting.jpg)
5 maut, 6 cedera insiden tembakan di kelab malam Panama
Insiden dipercayai berlaku akibat perselisihan faham antara dua kumpulan jenayah.
![Dua maut, lima cedera dalam serangan ketika sambut Halloween Dua maut, lima cedera dalam serangan ketika sambut Halloween](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-11/71604226533_TBQuebecstabbings.jpg)
Dua maut, lima cedera dalam serangan ketika sambut Halloween
Insiden yang berlaku berdekatan bangunan parlimen itu menyebabkan suasana panik sebelum suspek bertindak melarikan diri sejurus kejadian.
![Asteroid bentuk tengkorak manusia bakal rentas bumi Asteroid bentuk tengkorak manusia bakal rentas bumi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2018-10/51538456330_asteroid.jpg)
Asteroid bentuk tengkorak manusia bakal rentas bumi
Asteroid yang dinamakan sempena buah labu yang sinonim dengan perayaan Halloween itu pernah merentasi bumi pada 31 Oktober 2015.
![Lelaki berpakaian pengebom bunuh diri ditahan Lelaki berpakaian pengebom bunuh diri ditahan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2017-11/51510054346_BomHalloween.jpg)
Lelaki berpakaian pengebom bunuh diri ditahan
Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya ACP Mohd Zani Che Din berkata suspek berusia 35 tahun yang berasal dari Sana'a, Yaman itu hadir menyerah diri kira-kira 6 petang ini.
![PM Kanada dedah identiti diri sebagai Superman PM Kanada dedah identiti diri sebagai Superman](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2017-11/71509513679_JustinTrudeau.jpg)
PM Kanada dedah identiti diri sebagai Superman
Sebaik sahaja bertemu dengan kumpulan wartawan berkenaan, beliau membuka butang baju kemejanya dan mendedahkan kostum adiwira Superman.