Rescue groups work on the scene the place dozens of individuals have been injured in a stampede throughout a Halloween competition in Seoul, South Korea, October 29, 2022.
Kim Hong-ji | Reuters
About 100 individuals have been injured and an unspecified quantity have been feared lifeless after being crushed by a big crowd pushing ahead on a slim road throughout Halloween festivities within the capital Seoul, South Korean officers stated.
Choi Cheon-sik, an official from the Nationwide Fireplace Company, stated round 100 individuals have been reported as injured throughout the crowd surge Saturday evening within the Itaewon leisure district and round 50 have been being handled for cardiac arrest as of early Sunday.
Choi stated it was believed that individuals have been crushed to loss of life after a big crowd started pushing ahead in a slim alley close to Hamilton Resort, a serious celebration spot in Seoul.
He stated greater than 400 emergency employees and 140 autos from across the nation, together with all obtainable personnel in Seoul, have been deployed to the streets to deal with the injured.
Officers did not instantly launch a loss of life toll, as they often do not till the deaths are confirmed at hospitals. The Nationwide Fireplace Company individually stated in an announcement that officers have been nonetheless making an attempt to find out the precise variety of emergency sufferers.
TV footage and photographs from the scene confirmed ambulance autos lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency employees shifting the injured in stretchers. Emergency employees and pedestrians have been additionally seen performing CPR on individuals mendacity within the streets. A number of individuals, apparently amongst these injured, have been seen lined in yellow blankets.
Police additionally confirmed that dozens of individuals have been being given CPR on Itaewon streets whereas many others have been taken to close by hospitals.
A neighborhood police officer stated he was additionally knowledgeable {that a} stampede occurred on Itaewon’s streets the place a crowd of individuals gathered for Halloween festivities. The officer requested anonymity, saying the main points of the incident was nonetheless beneath investigation.
Some native media experiences earlier stated the crush occurred after numerous individuals rushed to an Itaewon bar after listening to an unidentified celeb visited there.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued an announcement calling for officers to make sure swift therapy for these injured and overview the security of the festivity websites. He additionally instructed the Well being Ministry to swiftly deploy catastrophe medical help groups and safe beds in close by hospital to deal with the injured.
Native media stated round 100,000 individuals flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities, which have been the largest in years following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in latest months.