2 U.S. college students among at least 153 dead in Seoul crush - NBC News

Two U.S. assemblage students studying overseas were identified Sunday arsenic the lone known American fatalities among astatine slightest 153 people who died successful a crush of Halloween revelers successful Seoul.

Anne Gieske, a third-year nursing pupil astatine the University of Kentucky, was among the those who perished successful overcrowded streets Friday night, the institution's President, Eli Capilouto, announced to the school Sunday.

Gieske was from bluish Kentucky, and was studying overseas successful South Korea this semester, Capilouto said.

Steven Blesi, 20, of Marietta, Georgia, was the different American truthful acold known to person died successful the tragic compression of bodies crowded successful constrictive streets and alleys of the capitol's tourist-friendly Itaewon nightlife district.

His father, Steve Blesi, confirmed his passing, saying his lad was successful South Korea to survey planetary concern and larn the Korean connection during the autumn semester.

Two different University of Kentucky students and a module subordinate who are besides overseas successful South Korea are safe, Capilouto said.

The assemblage president said schoolhouse officials "have been successful interaction with Anne’s household and volition supply immoderate enactment we tin — present and successful the days up — arsenic they header with this indescribable loss."

Gieske's father, Dan, issued a connection for the household Sunday: "We are wholly devastated and heartbroken implicit the nonaccomplishment of Anne Marie. She was a agleam airy loved by all.  We inquire for your prayers but besides the respect of our privacy."

Capilouto said the student's passing was hard to comprehend. "There aren’t capable oregon due words to picture the symptom of a beauteous beingness chopped short," helium wrote.

Steve Blesi said by substance that his lad had conscionable completed midterms and was celebrating with chap students. He made a batch of friends successful South Korea, the begetter said.

"He was having a large time," helium said. "If I could instrumentality his place, I would."

The elder Blesi said constabulary should person been prepared and assigned officers to assemblage power arsenic an estimated 100,000 radical gathered successful the district.

Bar-hoppers, students and others celebrated the quality to observe the archetypal Halloween en masse since 2019, earlier the pandemic muted quality contact.

"I can't ideate the suffering helium endured," Blesi said. "The SK [South Korean] constabulary should person been amended prepared."

In a tweet, President Joe Biden expressed sympathy. "Jill and I are devastated to larn that astatine slightest 2 Americans are among truthful galore who mislaid their lives successful Seoul," helium said. "Our hearts spell retired to their loved ones successful this clip of grief, and we proceed to commune for the betterment of each who were injured."

It didn't look determination was immoderate azygous event, specified arsenic a performance oregon open-air party, that drew revelers to the country well-known for crowded, booze-fueled nights. For constabulary to person been prepared, they would person to person predicted the unusually ample crowds.

South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, said successful a nationalist code Sunday greeting that it was "a catastrophe that should ne'er happen."

 Yoon, saying helium was yet liable for the information of the South Korean people, ordered an exigency reappraisal of what helium termed "Halloween festivals" successful the area.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy successful Seoul confirmed determination were 2 known American fatalities.

"Our unit successful Seoul and colleagues successful the United States are moving tirelessly to supply consular assistance to the victims of past night’s incidental and their families,” the spokesperson said.

The Yongsan occurrence section said successful a connection that the different overseas victims came from China, Iran, France, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Norway, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Austria and Kazakhstan. Most of the victims were radical successful their precocious teens and 20s, said Choi Seong-beom, main of Seoul’s Yongsan occurrence department.

Though the incidental was initially described arsenic a stampede, video appears to picture a crowd surge, a question of radical pushing guardant done an overpacked crowd.

In an interrogation aft the assemblage crush astatine Houston's Astroworld festival, successful which 10 died, assemblage absorption pioneer Paul Wertheimer explained what happens amid overcrowded conditions, often during wide celebrations similar concerts and festivals.

The elements of specified a calamity often see "festival seating" wherever radical are allowed to determination anywhere, overcrowding successful a constricted area, and, sometimes, a trigger oregon "crowd craze," which sets disconnected wide question successful 1 direction. Sometimes that's a countdown, which tin upwind up anticipation and anxiety, Werthhemer said.

In South Korea, it wasn't wide if thing triggered the crowds to propulsion successful immoderate peculiar direction. In assemblage crushes a question of humanity successful which revelers tin suffer power of their ain direction, person occupation breathing, and are sometimes lifted disconnected their feet, moves horizontally, with immoderate victims suffering injuries oregon decease adjacent arsenic they stood, Wertheimer said.

Injuries and impacts tin see asphyxiation, cardiac arrest, and breached bones arsenic the assemblage collapses astatine its starring edge, starring to immoderate trampling-type injuries, the adept said.

At slightest 133 radical were injured, 23 of whom are successful captious condition, officials said.

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