Young people flocking to Seoul’s popular Itaewon district on Saturday, October 29, for the first virtually unrestricted Halloween festivities in three years instead found themselves caught up in a deadly crush that killed at least 151 people. READ:
SEOUL, South Korea – Young people flocking to Seoul’s popular Itaewon district on Saturday, October 29, for the first virtually unrestricted Halloween festivities in three years instead found themselves caught up in a deadly crush that The crowd of partiers, some still in their teens and many clad in Halloween costumes, was ready to enjoy the bars, nightclubs and restaurants where the revelry routinely spills over into narrow and often steep side streets.
People poured into one particularly narrow and sloping alley, even after it was already packed wall-to-wall. Social media footage showed some people trying to scale the sides of the buildings to escape the increasing pressure, as others shouted, cried, or cursed. One student from France, who asked not to be identified because of the trauma of the event, said he became lodged in a crush of people for about an hour and a half.
He felt less sympathetic towards those who continued trying to push their way through the crowd, often complicating the task of rescue workers who told the throng to remain calm and in place.Videos shared on social media showed a pile of bodies wedged between buildings, some at the bottom appearing unconscious, while others reached out to emergency workers who struggled to free them from the crush.
“There were some people who tried to forcibly cross the police line saying they have friends over there, and they were dragged out by police,” Moon said.