A harrowing incident in South Korea has rocked the peninsula nation.
CNN reported that at least 120 people were killed and another 100 were injured in Seoul’s Itaewon district. According to The Korea Times, huge crowds of people were stampeding at Halloween parties, contributing to the incident.
The Yongsan Fire Department chief said many people “fell” during the festivities, CNN reported.
Korea-based Washington Post reporter Bryan Pietsch said the U.S. military was aiding with crowd control at the scene.
On the scene in Itaewon – multiple people being carried or receiving CPR. US military is doing crowd control
— Bryan Pietsch 정동수 (@bybryanpietsch) October 29, 2022
Another local reporter, Raphael Rashid, shared a blurry photo capturing just some of the chaos. He said he saw dozens of body bags at the scene and called the incident a “national tragedy.”
What we know:
– it’s Halloween and Itaewon has been absolutely packed since earlier
– towards 10:40 pm emergency started unravelling outside Itaewon Station near Hamilton Hotel
– Dozens of people on the floor receiving CPR
– President briefed, Seoul Mayor on way back to Korea pic.twitter.com/r64OIBpH8k— Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty) October 29, 2022
Fire authorities in Seoul reporting that 59 people have died tonight in the stampede in Itaewon. 150 injured. A national tragedy.
— Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty) October 29, 2022
Videos circulating on the internet show utter pandemonium in the streets:
WARNING: The following videos contain content that viewers may find disturbing.
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
[Breaking] Nightmare in #Itaewon. Current status is that over 50 people have collapsed and possible multiple fatalities due to overcrowding during the Halloween festivities. Stay tuned for more info. pic.twitter.com/NhvVqnHlkl
— allkpop (@allkpop) October 29, 2022
#이태원
Most heartbreaking and tragic incident in Itaewon Halloween parade. Multiple people dead due to cardiac arrest.? pic.twitter.com/Sh25DrGO3J— Saurav Bajoria (@saurav_bajoria) October 29, 2022
The incident quickly garnered the attention of South Korea’s leadership.
President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered officials to deploy emergency medical personnel to the area and secure emergency beds, according to the Times.
Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is returning to South Korea to assess the situation. Oh was in Europe.
No official word on the cause of the incident has been given.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.