At least 146 people have died after being crushed by a large crowd during Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korean officials said.
A local news agency has also cited emergency services that 150 others have been injured in the Itaewon district, Associated Press reports.
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Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said the death toll could grow as emergency workers were continuing to transport the injured to hospitals across the capital following the stampede in the leisure district of Itaewon on Saturday night (October 29).
Officials say it was believed that people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for those injured and review the safety of the festivity sites.
He also instructed the Health Ministry to swiftly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds in nearby hospital to treat the injured.
Local media said around 100,000 people flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities, which were the biggest since the start of the pandemic following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in recent months.
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