At least 153 killed, 133 injured in Halloween stampede in Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 30 -- At least 153 people have been killed and 133 others injured in a deadly stampede in Seoul's Itaewon district as huge crowds of partygoers, many in their 20s, converged in the entertainment district for late-night Halloween celebrations.

The deadliest stampede in South Korea's history happened Saturday night in a narrow 10.5-foot-wide downhill alley near Hamilton Hotel in the famous nightlife district after tens of thousands of people visited the area for Halloween.

The death toll could rise further, as 37 people sustained serious injuries, officials said. Police data, which is believed to have not been incorporated into the official tally, put the death toll at 154.

The stampede marked the worst tragedy in South Korea since the 2014 sinking of the ferry Sewol that killed 304 people, mostly high school students.

It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted many COVID-19 restrictions. Most of the people on the streets were wearing Halloween costumes.

Of those killed, a majority of 97 were female due apparently to their relatively smaller frame, combined with usually heavier Halloween costumes.

Rescuers attend to injured people on a street in Seoul's Itaewon area on Oct. 29, 2022. (Yonhap)

A total of 95 fatal victims were in their 20s, followed by 32 in their 30s, nine in their 40s and four in their teens, officials said.

The number of foreigners killed came to 20, according to the official tally from fire authorities.

They are four each from China and Iran; three from Russia; and one each from the United States, France, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Norway, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Austria, officials said.

The U.S. embassy told CNN in a statement Sunday that two U.S. citizens were among those killed with tthree others injured.

"Our staff in Seoul and colleagues in the United States are working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to the victims of last night's incident and their families," an embassy statement read. "The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is working closely with local authorities and other partner organizations to assist U.S. citizens affected. We offer our sincerest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and continue to assist the injured. Due to privacy considerations, we have no additional details at this time."

An Australian national and another foreigner with unconfirmed nationality have additionally been confirmed dead, yet were not added to the official government tally, an official at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said on the customary condition of anonymity.

Police also said 141 out of the 153 victims have been identified and their families have been notified.

Police have also launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Fire authorities initially received dozens of reports from people in the Itaewon area -- home to expat communities with its hip nightlife and chic restaurants -- about patients with breathing difficulties. The first report was made around 10:15 p.m.

Witnesses and survivors say a massive group of people surged into the back alley, and the stampede began "instantly" after some people fell over and caused others to fall down like "dominoes" and pile up on one another, unable to move or breathe.

The back alley in question is a downhill path that links a busy restaurant district with a main street, where about six adults can barely pass at the same time.

"People kept pushing down into a downhill club alley, resulting in other people screaming and falling down like dominos," an unidentified witness wrote on Twitter. "I thought I would be crushed to death too as people kept pushing without realizing there were people falling down at the start of the stampede."

Video footage showed rescue workers and ordinary people desperately conducting CPR on victims on the streets.

A sudden influx of about 300 patients needing CPR and other first-aid measures also left rescuers shorthanded, while heavy return-home traffic in the area added to the difficulties, according to witnesses.

President Yoon Suk-yeol designated Seoul's central ward of Yongsan, where Itaewon is located, as a special disaster zone entitled to financial and other support from the central government.

Yoon addressed the nation live from the presidential office, saying Saturday's "tragedy and disaster should never have happened."

He also announced a period of national mourning and ordered the lowering of flags.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo later told reporters the mourning period would last from Sunday until Saturday at Yoon's instructions and that a mourning altar would be set up in downtown Seoul to allow people to pay tribute to the victims.

World leaders from U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Mexican President Andres Manuel have sent messages of condolences and support to South Korea.

Biden expressed his "deepest condolences."

"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured," Biden said in a statement, referring to first lady Jill Biden.

"The Alliance between our two countries has never been more vibrant or more vital - and the ties between our people are stronger than ever. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time," he said.