JAKARTA - At least 149 people died with 76 others injured in the incident in Seoul's Itaewon District, South Korea as a large crowd of party visitors stormed the Halloween celebration late at night, firefighters said Sunday.
The accident occurred Saturday night in a narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel, in the famous nightlife district after crowds of party visitors flooded the area, witnesses said. Thousands of people visited the area for a Halloween party.
A total of 149 people have been confirmed dead on Sunday morning with 76 others injured, 57 of whom are serious, fire authorities said, adding the death toll could rise further.
Choi Seong-beom, head of the fire department at Yongsan, which includes Itaewon, told reporters "a large number of victims fell as crowds jostled during the Halloween party."
The victim in his 20s was the age group most victims of the incident, authorities said.
Fire authorities initially received dozens of reports from people in the Itaewon area about patients having difficulty breathing. Rescue teams sent to the scene have given CPR to dozens of victims on nearby roads.
"When the people in front of the front fall, those behind are stepped on," an eye witness in his 20s told Yonhap News Agency.
Rumors at the scene were that crowds flocked somewhere to see a celebrity, or candy mixed with drugs had been distributed at the club, but the exact cause of the accident is not yet known.
A total of 848 personnel, including 346 firefighters, were deployed to the area.
Police plan to immediately investigate whether bars and clubs in the area comply with safety regulations.
Shortly after the raid, President Yoon Suk-yeol chaired two consecutive emergency meetings, ordering officials to immediately provide first aid and treat the injured, the presidential office said.
President Yoon also ordered officers to deploy emergency medics to Itaewon and secure emergency beds.
After chairing an emergency meeting, President Yoon instructed officials to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident.
Separately, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed officials to make maximum efforts to minimize damage.
Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who was visiting Europe, decided to return home after the accident, city officials said.
🇰🇷At least 146 people have been killed in a stampede when a huge crowd celebrating: Halloween crammed into an alley in a nightlife area of the South Korean capital, #Seoul🇰🇷#SouthKorea#Halloween #SeoulStampede #SeoulTragedy pic.twitter.com/wXlC5NyCoW
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