SEOUL: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol declared period of national mourning after a Halloween crush killed some 151 people in a packed nightlife area in Seoul.

Yoon expressed condolences to victims, mostly teenagers and people in their 20s, and his wishes for a speedy recovery to many injured. “This is truly tragic,” he said in a statement. “A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in heart of Seoul last night.”

A huge crowd celebrating in popular Itaewon district surged into an alley on Saturday night, emergency officials said, adding death toll could rise. Choi Sung-beom, head of Yongsan Fire Station said 151 deaths had been confirmed, including 19 foreigners. He told a briefing at scene 82 people were injured, 19 of them seriously.

It was first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after country lifted Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing. Many of partygoers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes. Early on Sunday costumes and personal belongings mingled with blood spots in narrow street. Survivors huddled under emergency blankets amid throngs of emergency workers, police and media. Many of those killed were near a nightclub, Choi said. Many of victims were women in their 20s, while foreigners killed included people from China, Iran, Uzbekistan and Norway, he said. Witnesses described crowd becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as evening deepened. Moon Ju-young (21) said there were clear signs of trouble in alley before incident. He told Reuters it was more than 10 times as crowded as usual.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 31 2022

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