South Korea is looking for answers after one of the country’s worst disasters occurred during Halloween celebrations in Seoul, with authorities declaring a national mourning period as they investigate how a chaotic crush killed at least 154 people.
Tens of thousands of costumed partygoers, mostly teenagers and young adults, flocked to South Korea’s popular nightlife district Itaewon to celebrate the country’s first Halloween celebration since Covid restrictions such as crowd limits and face mask rules were lifted.
The celebrations, however, devolved into chaos, with photos and videos on social media showing massive crowds crammed into a narrow alley. According to witnesses, partygoers were packed so closely together that it was difficult to move around or even breathe.
Suah Cho, 23, was walking down an alley when “some people suddenly started pushing each other, and people were screaming.” “It was just panic,” she said after the screaming lasted 15 minutes.
“Some people were moving forward, some were moving backward, and then they were just pushing each other,” she added. She was able to flee into a building down the alley and watch the disaster unfold. She claimed to have heard that “people were climbing the building to survive.”
The cause of the incident is still being investigated, but Choi Seong-bum, chief of the Yongsan-gu Fire Department, stated that it was a “presumed stampede” and that many people fell, injuring at least 82 people.
At least 19 foreign nationals were killed, including people from Iran, Norway, China, and Uzbekistan, he said. According to the Thai Foreign Ministry, one Thai national was killed.
On Sunday, the chaos of Saturday gave way to shock and grief across the country. Many victims’ families have gathered at a nearby centre in Itaewon, where officials are compiling a list of the dead and missing in an effort to identify bodies.
According to Lee Sang-min, Minister of Interior and Safety, more than 90% of those killed have been identified so far. He went on to say that about ten people cannot be identified because they are under the age of 17 — too young to have a national ID card — or are foreigners.
Many people are still missing, and families are worriedly calling hospitals and visiting morgues. Seoul authorities had received more than 3,580 missing persons reports by 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, according to the city government.
According to one mother, Ahn Yeon-seon, her 19-year-old daughter went out to celebrate with her boyfriend for one of their final dates before he left for mandatory military service.
According to one mother, Ahn Yeon-seon, her 19-year-old daughter went out to celebrate with her boyfriend for one of their final dates before he left for mandatory military service.
Several hours after the couple had left, her daughter’s boyfriend called her, crying, saying she had been “under a pile of people for over an hour and that he’d tried to pull her out but couldn’t,” Ahn told Yonhap.
Ahn has been searching hospitals for her daughter ever since, waiting for confirmation of what happened to her. “I’ll just keep looking,” she said to Yonhap.
And, while the government has launched an investigation and promised new measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, questions about how such a disaster could have occurred at all are emerging.
Cho, the 23-year-old who escaped the crash, stated that she saw no police or officials attempting to control the crowd prior to the crash. Even after they arrived later that night, the confusion and panic persisted.
“The police officer was screaming, but we couldn’t tell if it was a real police officer because everyone was dressed up,” she explained. “People were literally asking, ‘Are you a real cop?'”
Investigation and recovery
At 10:24 p.m., authorities in Seoul received the first emergency calls about people being “buried” in crowds (9:24 a.m. ET). Yonhap reported that some people had suffered from “cardiac arrest,” while others had reported “difficulty breathing.”
However, officials stated that there were no gas leaks or fires on the premises.
Seoul’s interior and safety minister, Lee Sang-min, said on Sunday that “a significant number of police and security forces” were deployed to another part of Seoul on Saturday to deal with protests there.
Meanwhile, in Itaewon, the crowd was not unusually large, he said, so only “normal” security forces were deployed.
However, as the disaster unfolded, it triggered a massive response. On Saturday night, more than 1,700 emergency response personnel were dispatched, including 517 firefighters, 1,100 police officers, and approximately 70 government employees.
Police taped off an area where people were performing compressions on other partygoers lying on the ground while waiting for medical help, according to social media videos. Others showed people dressed in Halloween costumes lying on the street and being carried on stretchers as first responders rendered aid and ambulances waited to transport the injured.
Before the crush, crowd numbers built in Seoul’s popular nightclub district Itaewon, October 29, 2022.
In the early hours of Sunday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency meeting and later visited the scene to receive briefings from emergency officials.
In his address to the nation, he declared a national period of mourning “until the accident is resolved.” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo later stated that the period of mourning would end on November 5 at midnight.
“A tragedy that should not have happened occurred last night on Halloween in the middle of Seoul,” Yoon said. “I pray for those who have died in an unexpected accident and hope that those who have been injured recover quickly.”
He also stated that the disaster would be investigated and that measures would be put in place to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again.
“We will have relevant ministries conduct emergency inspections not only for Halloween events but also for local festivals and thoroughly manage them so they are conducted in an orderly and safe manner,” Yoon said, adding that a “multi-purpose emergency system” would assist both the injured and the families of the deceased.
Crowds are seen in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul on October 30, 2022.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced that the government would set up a fund for the families of the deceased and injured. According to him, it will operate “a funeral support team and respond fully to the treatment of the injured,” as well as provide psychological treatment to those affected.
Han also stated that the government will “actively consult with diplomatic offices to ensure there is no shortage of support.”
“Our country has a history of overcoming disasters with all citizens united in one mind,” he said, adding, “I humbly request that all people join so that we can overcome sorrow and rise again.”
The government has designated Yongsan-gu, where Itaewon is located, as a special disaster area.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday that a joint memorial altar would be set up in Seoul Plaza, with another in Itaewon.
Foreign nationals among the dead
People from all over Asia fly into Seoul to celebrate Halloween in Itaewon, and this year’s event was seen as a welcome return of festivities following the pandemic. Hotels and ticketed events in the area were fully booked, and large crowds were expected.
Sung Sehyun, an eyewitness, described the situation as “jammed subway,” and said he had to push his way through the crowd earlier in the night to avoid the busy streets.
“I was fortunate to survive (but an) hour later, I learned that people had been killed. Because people were stampeded… and people were crammed together, “he stated
According to Juliette Kayyem, a CNN disaster management expert and national security analyst, the city’s density — and how common crowds are in Seoul — may have contributed to the tragedy.
“People in Seoul are used to being in crowded places, so the crowded streets may not have alarmed them fully,” she said. “Panic is always a factor, and there is a risk of becoming overly accustomed to being in crowded places.”
It’s difficult to say what triggered the crush, but authorities “would have expected high numbers… before Saturday night,” she added. “The authorities have a responsibility to monitor crowd volume in real time so that they can sense the need to get people out.”
Leaders from all over the world expressed their condolences to South Korea and those affected by the disaster.
“Jill and I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones in Seoul,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement. “We mourn with the people of the Republic of Korea and wish all those who were injured a speedy recovery.”
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The US government is prepared to provide South Korea with “any support it requires,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted Saturday. According to authorities, one US citizen was injured in the crush.
“All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted. President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet written in French and Korean, “France is by your side.”
Itaewon, once regarded as a seedy red light district by locals, has transformed into one of Seoul’s most popular party destinations. The neighbourhood comes alive at night, thanks to its nightlife and trendy restaurants.
It also has thriving Muslim and gay communities, and it is close to a US army base.
Source: CNN
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Source: BBC
