At least 149 killed in Seoul Halloween crowd surge: Live updates - CNN

Two foreigners died successful the Itaewon Halloween calamity and implicit a twelve others — including a US national — were among those hurt, officials said.

Yongsan Fire Chief Choi Seong-bum said 2 “foreign nationals” had died but did not accidental wherever they were from. He added that 15 different overseas nationals were hurt.

According to the US State Department, astatine slightest 1 of the radical injured was a US citizen.

“We are moving with section authorities to find if immoderate further US citizens were affected and basal acceptable to supply consular assistance,” the authoritative said.

“We impulse US citizens successful the affected areas who are harmless to interaction their loved ones straight and/or update their presumption connected societal media,” the authoritative said. “If you are successful the affected country and request contiguous exigency services, delight interaction section authorities.”

Many families have not been capable to relationship for loved ones who attended a packed solemnisation successful the fashionable nightclub district.

Some background: People alert into Seoul from each implicit to observe Halloween successful Itaewon, CNN’s Will Ripley notes. Hotels and ticketed events successful the vicinity were booked coagulated up of this weekend’s festivities.

Most of those wounded oregon killed successful the Halloween incidental successful Seoul’s Itaewon vicinity Saturday nighttime are teenagers oregon radical successful their 20s, according to the main of the Yongsan Fire Department.

In an update Sunday morning, Fire Chief Choi Seong-bum said astatine slightest 149 radical had died and 76 radical were injured. Nineteen of those radical were severely wounded portion 57 others suffered insignificant injuries.

Late Saturday, arsenic officials were inactive trying to grasp the afloat scope of the tragedy, authorities said arsenic galore arsenic 150 radical were hurt.

South Korea’s president urged officials to rapidly place those who died, arsenic galore radical were inactive unaccounted for.

Long queues of ambulances formed connected the streets looking for radical who needed to beryllium taken to infirmary connected Sunday, October 30, 2022.

CNN

The decease toll has reached astatine slightest 149 from the apparent assemblage surge during Halloween gatherings successful Seoul’s Itaewon vicinity Saturday night, according to a section occurrence official.

Yongsan Fire Department Chief Choi Seong-bum shared the update aft 6 a.m. section clip successful Seoul (5 p.m. ET), arsenic time broke and officials sorted done what was near successful the crowded streets of the fashionable nightclub district.

A section wellness authoritative had earlier warned that with dozens of radical hospitalized, the decease toll was apt to rise.

Speaking to reporters Saturday evening, US President Joe Biden concisely reacted to the tragic quality retired of South Korea.

The President said helium had not yet been afloat briefed and that helium would merchandise a lengthier connection later.

“I volition marque a connection erstwhile I find retired much astir it. I virtually conscionable heard astir it from unit connected the mode down successful the car,” Biden said extracurricular a Delaware polling spot wherever helium formed an aboriginal vote.

The President reacted with evident daze erstwhile told the latest decease toll numbers by the press.

At past update, much than 140 radical had died and astatine slightest 150 others were hurt, successful what section officials judge was a assemblage surge during packed gatherings.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol holding an exigency meeting. 

South Korean Presidential Office/Handout

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered authorities to rapidly place the victims successful Seoul for the involvement of disquieted families, according to a spokesperson.

Yoon instantly activated an exigency absorption headquarters, with the country’s premier curate successful charge, and ordered the interior and information curate to statesman an probe into the origin of the incident, said Kim Eun-hye, a apical nationalist relations authoritative for the president.

Rescue teams enactment astatine the country successful Itaewon connected Saturday night.

Kim Hong-ji/Reuters

At slightest 146 radical person died and 150 were injured successful an apparent assemblage surge during packed Halloween festivities successful Seoul Saturday night, according to the Yongsan Fire Department chief.

Here are the latest developments.

Death toll could rise: With section hospitals treating dozens of injured radical from the Seoul Halloween emergency, the decease toll will apt increase, a section wellness authoritative said. The origin of injuries and deaths successful the incidental has not been officially confirmed, added Choi Jae-won, the caput of Yongsan Health Center.

Official blames assemblage surge: A section occurrence authoritative described the exigency arsenic a “presumed stampede,” but the probe is conscionable beginning. Few details connected circumstantial injuries were provided. Yonhap News Agency reported dozens of radical suffered from “cardiac arrest” and occupation breathing.

Authorities said the exigency was not owed to a state leak oregon a occurrence successful the fashionable nightclub district. They started receiving reports of radical “buried” successful the crowds determination astir 10:24 p.m. section clip (9:24 a.m. ET) Saturday.

Witnesses observe chaotic scene: A witnesser said radical were jammed connected a constrictive thoroughfare and could not breathe. “I saw the radical going to the near broadside and I saw the idiosyncratic getting to the other side,” Sung Sehyun told CNN. “The idiosyncratic successful the mediate got jammed, truthful they had nary mode to communicate. They could not breathe.”

CNN’s Will Ripley reported that a agelong enactment of stretchers forming connected the thoroughfare would beryllium utilized to instrumentality bodies from the scene.

Rescue workers connected the thoroughfare adjacent the country successful Itaewon connected Saturday night.

Lee Jin-man/AP

The dozens of radical killed and injured successful Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood Saturday nighttime were victims of a “presumed stampede,” according to a section occurrence chief, but the probe is conscionable beginning.

According to Yongsan Fire Department Chief Choi Seong-bum, 1,701 effect unit are connected scene, including 517 firefighters, 1,100 constabulary and 70 authorities workers.

The bodies of the victims are being transferred to aggregate infirmary mortuaries, according to Choi.

Seoul’s authorities is besides receiving reports of missing people, arsenic determination are galore unidentified victims.

Authorities are inactive investigating the incidental and moving to place the victims.

The United States authorities is acceptable to supply South Korea with “any enactment it needs” aft the deadly incidental successful Seoul’s Itaewon vicinity Saturday night, White House nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan said on Twitter. 

“The reports retired of Seoul are heartbreaking. We are reasoning astir each those who mislaid loved ones and hoping for a speedy betterment for those injured. The United States stands acceptable to supply the Republic of Korea with immoderate enactment it needs,” Sullivan wrote. 

Rescue officials load a stretcher into an ambulance successful Itaewon connected Saturday night.

Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

The decease toll has reached astatine slightest 146 from the Halloween incident successful Seoul’s Itaewon vicinity Saturday night, according to the Yongsan Fire Department chief.

At slightest 150 others were injured successful the incident, the main added.

The causes of decease person not yet been reported, but Yonhap News Agency reported that dozens of radical suffered from “cardiac arrest” from the incident, citing occurrence officials.

With section hospitals treating dozens of injured radical from the Seoul Halloween emergency, the decease toll volition apt increase, a section wellness authoritative said.

The origin of injuries and deaths successful the incidental has not been officially confirmed, added Choi Jae-won, the caput of Yongsan Health Center.

Local fire officials said the exigency was not owed to a state leak oregon a occurrence successful the fashionable nightclub district, but that they started receiving reports of radical “buried” successful the crowds determination astir 10:24 p.m. section clip (9:24 a.m. ET) Saturday.

CNN’s Will Ripley reported that adjacent earlier the chaos broke out, Halloween partygoers were packed truthful tightly successful the constrictive streets that it was hard to determination around.

Police analyse the country successful Itaewon connected Saturday night.

Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

Officials said they are inactive investigating the nonstop origin of the incidental that killed astatine slightest 120 radical successful Seoul’s Itaewon vicinity Saturday night.

Choi Seong-bum, main of the Yonsan Fire Department, said determination was nary state leak nor occurrence successful the fashionable nightclub district, but that they received reports of radical “buried” successful crowds starting astir 10:24 p.m. section clip (9:24 a.m. ET) Saturday night.

A witnesser described the chaotic country to CNN, saying radical were jammed and could not breathe.

“I saw the radical going to the near broadside and I saw the idiosyncratic getting to the other side. “The idiosyncratic successful the mediate got jammed, truthful they had nary mode to communicate, they could not breathe,” Song Sehyun told CNN.

Emergency workers formed a agelong enactment of waiting stretchers aft over 100 radical were killed during Halloween festivities successful Seoul’s fashionable nightclub district.

Authorities person released fewer details astir the nonstop origin of the incident, but Yonhap News Agency reported dozens of radical suffered from “cardiac arrest” and had occupation breathing.

CNN’s Will Ripley said that erstwhile helium arrived successful the Itaewon neighborhood, determination were streams of radical walking done the streets, crying and talking connected the phone, inactive wearing costumes from what was intended arsenic a celebration.

While determination were paramedics with ambulances inactive looking for anyone who needed to spell the hospital, Ripley reported that the agelong enactment of stretchers forming connected the thoroughfare would beryllium utilized to instrumentality bodies from the scene.

Some background: People alert into Seoul from each implicit Asia to observe Halloween successful Itaewon, Ripley noted. Hotels and ticketed events successful the vicinity were booked coagulated up of this weekend’s festivities, helium said.

Rescue squad members hold with stretchers to region bodies from the country connected Saturday nighttime successful the Itaewon district, Seoul.

Kim Hong-ji/Reuters

The decease toll has reached astatine slightest 120 from the Halloween incidental successful Seoul’s Itaewon vicinity Saturday night, according to the Yongsan Fire Department chief.

At slightest 100 others were injured successful the incident, the main added.

The causes of decease person not yet been reported but Yonhap News Agency reported that dozens of radical suffered from “cardiac arrest” from the incident, attributing occurrence officials.

Emergency services dainty injured radical connected Saturday nighttime successful Seoul.

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol dispatched a catastrophe aesculapian assistance squad to the Halloween incidental successful Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood, according to the statesmanlike office.

The president besides ordered authorities to unafraid exigency beds successful hospitals adjacent and to instrumentality swift rescue operations and treatment, Presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myung said successful a briefing.

Rescue crews seen successful the nightlife territory of Itaewon successful Seoul connected Saturday night.

Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

At slightest 59 radical were killed successful the Halloween incident successful Seoul’s Itaewon vicinity Saturday night, according to the Yongsan Fire Department chief.

At slightest 150 others were besides injured, the main added. 

The origin of the deaths was not instantly provided, but the main said galore radical fell during the Halloween festivities, resulting successful casualties.

Yonhap News Agency reported dozens of radical suffered from “cardiac arrest,” according to occurrence authorities, and astatine slightest 81 radical told exigency officials they had “difficulty breathing.”

A full of 848 exigency forces person been dispatched, including 364 firefighters and 400 constabulary officials, according to the chief.

Police person closed disconnected the country successful the neighborhood, and societal media videos are showing radical lying successful the streets.

Authorities person not yet provided nonstop details connected the origin of the incidental oregon conditions of those injured.