ASIA | South Korea Halloween crowd crush: How the tragedy unfolded

South Korea is searching for answers after Halloween celebrations in the capital Seoul turned into one of the country’s worst disasters.

Dressed in costumes, as many as 100,000 people flocked to the nightlife district of Itaewon for the first major Halloween event since most Covid-19 rules were lifted in the country. Some were caught in a crowd crush which killed at least 153 people – including 22 foreigners – and left 82 people injured.

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Packed with bars and restaurants, Itaewon is popular with young people and expatriates.

While it draws many revellers on occasions like Christmas, the Halloween crowd was unusually big. “It was at least more than 10 times crowded than usual,” one witness told Reuters.

At around 11 pm (10pm Singapore time), officials began sending alerts urging people to avoid Itaewon.

Video footage showed chaotic scenes of fire officials and citizens treating dozens of people who appeared to be unconscious.

“My friend said: something terrible is happening outside,” said Jeon Ga-eul, 30, who was at a bar when the crowd crush happened. “I went outside to see and there were people doing CPR in the street.”

High school student Kim Seo-jeong was caught in the chaos. “A person in front of me slipped and fell, pushing me down as well. People behind me fell like dominoes,” the 17-year-old told the New York Times.

The authorities said among those killed were 22 foreigners from countries including Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway. At least 82 people were injured.

Scores of bodies piled atop one another in the narrow alley as emergency crews worked to pull them free.

A man at the scene said he saw bodies, limp, on the street. “I wish I hadn’t, but I did. It was heartbreaking.”

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Oct 30 declared a national mourning period, saying it was so miserable to see such a disaster happening in the heart of Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported.

“It’s truly horrific,” said Mr Yoon, adding that such a “tragedy and disaster should never have happened.”

“As president, who is responsible for the people’s lives and safety, my heart is heavy and I struggle to cope with my grief,” he said.

Mr Yoon said the government will support funeral preparations and fully mobilise emergency medical services to treat patients.

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“The most important thing is to determine the cause of the accident and prevent similar accidents,” he said. “We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and make fundamental improvements so that similar accidents do not happen again in the future.”

Officials said there were no immediate signs that drugs were involved in the crush.

The relevant authorities will conduct emergency inspections for Halloween events as well as other local festivals and ensure they are carried out in an orderly and safe manner, Mr Yoon said.

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A Halloween event scheduled for Oct 30 in Hongdae, another Seoul neighbourhood popular among young people, has been cancelled, according to a text message from the local government.

The accident is the worst to take place in South Korea since the sinking of the Sewol Ferry in 2014 killed 304 people, leading to criticism against the government at the time for its response to the emergency.

Stampedes and crushes have occurred in the past, including in 2005, when 11 people were killed in Sangju city when crowds rushed into a concert venue. In 2006, 35 people were injured while trying to enter a theme park that was open for free in Seoul.