According to the head of the Yongsan Fire Department, an incident at Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood on Saturday night resulted in at least 59 fatalities. The chief said, “At least 150 others were injured as well.”
The chief claimed that many people collapsed during the Halloween activities, which led to casualties, however, he did not immediately disclose the reason for the deaths. Earlier, Yonhap News Agency cited fire authorities when reporting that people had experienced “cardiac arrest.” At least 81 people in Seoul’s Itaewon area reported “difficulty breathing” to emergency personnel.
The specific cause of the tragedy is yet unknown according to the authorities.
People were lying in the streets and on stretchers while emergency personnel provided treatment, as seen in social media videos as police cordoned off the area.
A total of 848 emergency response personnel, including 364 firefighters and 400 police officers, have been sent, according to the fire chief. According to the presidential office, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol dispatched a disaster medical support team to the Halloween tragedy.
In a briefing, presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-Myung said that the president also gave instructions to undertake speedy rescue efforts and treatment, arrange emergency beds in adjacent hospitals, and secure emergency services.
According to a statement from the office, Yoon was participating in an urgent discussion about the matter.
Death video in Itaewon, South Korea
Cause of death: stampede pic.twitter.com/kLl56OrTof— wewqwdq (@dRwjTWgcDffvTWz) October 29, 2022
