Dozens of people in Seoul, South Korea, suffered cardiac arrest, with at least 151 dead in a stampede after being crushed by a 100,000-strong crowd on a narrow street during Halloween festivities on Saturday. Harrowing videos show dead bodies lying on the streets, while dozens were seen receiving medical assistance on the road.
Among the dead, 19 are foreigners. Besides hundreds were hurt, according to a National Fire Agency official, during the deadly crowd rush on Saturday night in Seoul's Itaewon entertainment district. More than 599 were being treated for cardiac arrest as of early Sunday, according to the official. It's estimated that hundreds of thousands of people flocked to Seoul for the 2022 Halloween Festival.
Scary Scenes
The stampede reportedly took place on the streets of Itaewon where a multitude of people had gathered for Halloween celebrations, according to a local police official. More than 200 people are reported have suffered cardiac arrest.
Although it has not been officially confirmed, local media reports claim at least 151 people have died. Authorities did not provide an exact figure but stated that the number of cardiac arrest patients was in the hundreds.
They stated that it was thought that victims were crushed to death as a sizable crowd started rushing forward in a narrow street next to the Hamilton Hotel, a popular gathering place for revelers in Seoul.
An officer said the incident's details were still being investigated and that he wished to remain anonymous. According to reports in the local media, a lot of people allegedly flocked to an Itaewon pub after hearing that an unidentified famous person had come there.
Numerous people are receiving CPR on Itaewon streets, according to the police, while numerous more have been transported to close-by hospitals.
Harrowing videos posted online show dozens of victims lying on the ground while receiving CPR from emergency personnel and bystanders.
Other videos posted on social media appear to show people climbing the street's walls to get away from the crowd and being lowered a great distance to nearby streets.
Yonhap reported that people suffered from "cardiac arrest," attributing fire authorities. Emergency officials received at least 81 people in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood reporting "difficulty breathing."
The exact number of emergency patients is still being calculated, according to a second statement from the National Fire Agency. A significant police presence could be seen at the scene, where ambulances were lined up in the streets, while emergency personnel were seen transporting the injured people on stretchers.
Emergency Situation
People laying in the streets were spotted receiving CPR from both emergency personnel and passersby. There were other people who appeared to be among the injured who were wrapped in yellow blankets.
Every possible emergency worker in South Korea's capital as well as more than 400 others has been sent to the area. This includes 140 ambulances that have sped to the scene to treat patients after hundreds of people entered a congested roadway in the center of the city's party zone.
Presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-Myung said in a briefing that President Yeol also gave orders to implement speedy rescue efforts and treatment, arrange emergency beds in adjacent hospitals, and secure emergency services.
TV footage and photos from the scene showed ambulance vehicles lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency workers moving the injured in stretchers.
A line of dead on the ground draped in blue blankets can also be seen in photos. A death toll was not immediately announced by the authorities.
Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, who is traveling in Europe, has decided to come back to his native country as a result of the news. According to local media, President Yeol is in charge of an emergency meeting and has given the directive that treating patients and getting residents out of the region should come first.
