Current status is that over 50 people have collapsed and possible multiple fatalities due to overcrowding during the Halloween festivities.
A stampede on Saturday night in the South Korean capital of Seoul has injured scores of people, emergency services said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that 50 people were suffering “cardiac arrest” following the crush.
The surge of people occurred during Halloween festivities in a central district in Seoul.
About 50 people were suffering from cardiac arrest in Seoul’s Itaewon area in an apparent connection with a Halloween party, fire authorities said Saturday.
President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered officials to swiftly administer first aid and treat the people, the presidential office said.
Footage on social media showed many victims lying on the pavement as bystanders used CPR in an effort to revive them.
Emergency officials received at least 81 calls from people saying they were having difficulty breathing.
Choi Cheon-sik, an official from the National Fire Agency, said around 100 people were reported as injured, including dozens suffering from cardiac arrest.
Seoul’s mayor Oh Se-hoon is visiting Europe but has decided to return home following the news. A local police officer said he was also informed that a stampede occurred on Itaewon’s streets where a crowd of people gathered for Halloween festivities. The officer requested anonymity, saying the details of the incident were still under investigation.
Some local media reports earlier said the crush happened after a large number of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing an unidentified celebrity visited there.
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.
Police said dozens of people are being given CPR on Itaewon streets while many others have been taken to nearby hospitals.
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.
