Tragedy in Seoul: At least 151 dead, 82 injured in Halloween celebrations

The death toll is rising in its wake tragedy in South Korea, during the Halloween celebration in Seoulwith 151 people dead so far and 82 injured, with 19 in serious condition.

The country’s president, Yun Seok-geul, declared national mourningemphasizing in his televised speech that “it is really tragic” and how it is about “a tragedy that should not have happened.”

He assured that the government will thoroughly investigate the causes “to ensure that such an accident does not happen again in the future”.

A huge crowd had gathered to celebrate Halloween in the Itewon district of the South Korean capital, which is famous for its nightlife. It was the first large public gathering in Seoul since the lifting of restrictions against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“They were on top of each other, like in a mass grave. Some were gradually losing consciousness, others were already dead.”an eyewitness told South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Lee Bom-seok, a doctor who provided first aid in the area, described the horrific scenes to the YTN television network. “When I attempted the first cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), two victims were lying on the sidewalk. Shortly thereafter, their numbers skyrocketed.”.

“Many passers-by rushed to help us,” he continued. “It’s hard to put into words… Many victims were pale. I couldn’t take their pulse or check their breathing and many of them had nosebleeds. Trying to apply CPR, blood was coming out of their mouths“, he describes.

In amateur video posted on Twitter by an eyewitness, a crowd of people in carnival costumes can be seen on a street with several bars. Suddenly there is commotion, passers-by push and fall on each other, screams are heard.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, dazed bystanders sat on the sidewalk searching for information on their cellphones. Some hugged to comfort each other, while music was still playing from some bars, according to an AFP photojournalist.