100 injured after Halloween crowd surge in Seoul, officials say

About 100 radical were injured and an unspecified fig were feared dormant aft being crushed by a ample assemblage pushing guardant connected a constrictive thoroughfare during Halloween festivities successful the superior Seoul, South Korean officials said.

Choi Cheon-sik, an authoritative from the National Fire Agency, said astir 100 radical were reported arsenic injured during the assemblage surge Saturday nighttime successful the Itaewon leisure territory and astir 50 were being treated for cardiac apprehension arsenic of aboriginal Sunday.

Choi said it was believed that radical were crushed to decease aft a ample assemblage began pushing guardant successful a constrictive alley adjacent Hamilton Hotel, a large enactment spot successful Seoul.

He said much than 400 exigency workers and 140 vehicles from astir the nation, including each disposable unit successful Seoul, were deployed to the streets to dainty the injured.

Officials didn't instantly merchandise a decease toll, arsenic they usually don't until the deaths are confirmed astatine hospitals. The National Fire Agency separately said successful a connection that officials were inactive trying to find the nonstop fig of exigency patients.

TV footage and photos from the country showed ambulance vehicles lined up successful streets amid a dense constabulary beingness and exigency workers moving the injured successful stretchers. Emergency workers and pedestrians were besides seen performing CPR connected radical lying successful the streets. Multiple people, seemingly among those injured, were seen covered successful yellowish blankets.

Police besides confirmed that dozens of radical were being fixed CPR connected Itaewon streets portion galore others person been taken to adjacent hospitals.

A section constabulary serviceman said helium was besides informed that a stampede occurred connected Itaewon's streets wherever a assemblage of radical gathered for Halloween festivities. The serviceman requested anonymity, saying the details of the incidental was inactive nether investigation.

Some section media reports earlier said the crush happened aft a ample fig of radical rushed to an Itaewon barroom aft proceeding an unidentified personage visited there.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a connection calling for officials to guarantee swift attraction for those injured and reappraisal the information of the festivity sites. He besides instructed the Health Ministry to swiftly deploy catastrophe aesculapian assistance teams and unafraid beds successful adjacent infirmary to dainty the injured.

Local media said astir 100,000 radical flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities, which were the biggest successful years pursuing the easing of COVID-19 restrictions successful caller months.