How Did The Halloween Night Panic Rush Happen In South Korea?
The Saturday panic rush is notable for being the deadliest crowd tragedy in South Korean history; all fatalities were ascribed to the panic rush in the Seoul street.
Halloween celebrations in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, were tragically marred by a panic rush on Saturday night that left at least 151 people dead and over 100 more hurt.
The majority of those killed were in their 20s, and the attack happened at a well-known market. Iranian, Uzbek, Chinese, and Norwegian residents were allegedly among the victims.
According to Reuters, the tragedy happened in the Itaewon neighborhood when an unexpected crowd surge caused guests to be crushed.
The first significant Halloween event held in the Korean capital city since the majority of COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed drew close to 100,000 attendees, according to the report.
According to a report from Korean Times, the incident has been blamed for leaving close to 270 individuals missing.
Officials from the Korean National Fire Agency (NFA) said that guests were crushed to death after a big group started shoving one another forward in a small alleyway next to the Hamilton Hotel, a popular gathering place for revelers in Seoul.
According to AFP, the stampede occurred as a result of a large crowd entering an Itaewon bar after learning that an unknown celebrity was there.
As per the footage posted on social media, hundreds of individuals were trapped and immobilized while emergency workers and police worked to liberate them in the small, sloping alley close to the hotel. The rush caused numerous heart arrests among its victims.
In response to the tragedy, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has proclaimed a national day of mourning.
He called emergency meetings after the event and gave the go-ahead for officials to assess safety precautions and immediately aid the injured.
Meanwhile, several leaders across the globe, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed grief over the incident and offered their help.