Seoul: One hundred and forty-six people were killed and 150 others were injured in a deadly stampede in Seoul's Itaewon district, as huge crowds of people stampeded at Halloween parties, according to fire authorities.
The death toll jumped from 59 to 120 in the last hour, with local media reporting a further 100 injured, officials said, according to BBC.
Choi Seong-beom, head of the fire department in Yongsan, which includes Itaewon, told reporters there were a large number of casualties during Halloween festivities.
He said that the bodies of 13 dead had been sent to hospital while the other 46 remained on the streets.
The stampede took place near the Hamilton Hotel in the nightlife district of Itaewon, as a large number of people were believed to have entered a narrow alley near the hotel.
President Yoon Suk-yeol, who presided over an emergency meeting on the stampede, ordered officials to swiftly administer first aid and treat the injured, the presidential office said.
Yoon also ordered officials to deploy emergency medical officials to Itaewon and secure emergency beds.
Separately, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed the officials to make utmost efforts to minimise damages.
Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is on a visit to Europe, decided to return home in the wake of the accident, city officials said.
truly the scariest halloween of my life—30 down, 400 rescue workers deployed. please avoid itaewon and stay safe. #이태원사고 pic.twitter.com/PC1GBJt7qk— Chloe Park in Seoul (@chloepark) October 29, 2022
truly the scariest halloween of my life—30 down, 400 rescue workers deployed. please avoid itaewon and stay safe. #이태원사고 pic.twitter.com/PC1GBJt7qk
A total of 142 firefighting vehicles were mobilised for the area.
Victims in their 20s accounted for the age group most affected by the accident, the authorities also said.
Rumours at the scene were that a crowd of people had flocked to a place to see a celebrity or candies laced with drugs had been distributed at clubs, but the exact cause of the accident is yet to be known.
Police plan to launch an investigation soon into whether bars and clubs in the area were in compliance with safety regulations.
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