Nearly 150 killed in South Korea Halloween party crush

October 29, 2022 at 11:25 PM
  • 149 people have died in a crush in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, with another 76 injured
  • The jam of people happened as huge crowds gathered in Itaewon – a popular nightlife area – for Halloween
  • Most victims were teenagers and adults in their 20s, the fire service says
  • Reports say the crush began in a narrow alley when people in a crowd fell over
  • It was the first outdoor no-mask Halloween event since the pandemic

At least 149 people were killed and scores more were injured in a stampede at a packed Halloween event in central Seoul late Saturday, officials said, in one of South Korea’s worst peacetime accidents.

The fire department told AFP that at least 149 people, including two foreigners, had been killed in the stampede, which occurred around 10:00 pm (1300 GMT)

Videos from the scene showed body bags on the streets, emergency workers performing CPR, and rescuers trying to pull people trapped beneath others.