Over 150 killed in Seoul Halloween crowd surge - CNN

US President Joe Biden offered condolences to the families of the Americans who were killed during the assemblage surge astatine packed Halloween festivities successful the South Korean superior of Seoul.

“Our hearts spell retired to their loved ones successful this clip of grief, and we proceed to commune for their recovery,” Biden tweeted Sunday.

The US State Department confirmed the 2 fatalities and said 3 US citizens were besides injured aft attending the lawsuit successful Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood.

View Biden’s tweet here:

Rescue officials and constabulary stitchery successful the territory of Itaewon successful Seoul, connected Sunday.

Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

A archetypal responder to Saturday’s assemblage surge catastrophe in Itaewon, Seoul, has fixed a firsthand relationship of the distressing show that confronted exigency workers astatine the scene. They spoke to CNN connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to speech to the media.

“At 10:23 p.m. (9:24 a.m. ET) we received much than 5 reports that radical fell, and they could either get wounded oregon die,” the archetypal responder told CNN.

“We had atrocious feelings receiving the dispatch bid yesterday. We knew that a batch of radical would beryllium retired determination due to the fact that of Halloween, and that the alley is narrow. We knew that the alley goes a agelong mode earlier connecting with the roadside. So, we took the reports seriously, that determination could beryllium deaths from pressure, if the alley was so filled with people,” they said.

“When we arrived [at the scene], we were lone capable to spot seven, 8 — no, 10 — rows of faces, we couldn’t adjacent spot their legs,” they said.

The archetypal responder said that they archetypal pulled radical retired from the bottommost of the assemblage due to the fact that “we thought they were most urgent.”

The US State Department says that successful summation to the two fatalities antecedently reported, 3 Americans were injured successful Saturday’s deadly assemblage surge successful cardinal Seoul.

A State Department authoritative confirmed the quality to CNN Sunday.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ “is profoundly saddened by the tragic incident” successful Seoul, according to a connection distributed Sunday by his spokesman.

South Korea is searching for answers aft Halloween celebrations successful the fashionable nightlife territory of Itaewon turned into 1 of the country’s worst disasters, with authorities declaring a nationalist mourning play arsenic they analyse however a chaotic crush near astatine slightest 154 radical dead.

The secretary-general’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres’ “expresses his sincere condolences to the families of the victims, arsenic good arsenic to the Government and radical of the Republic of Korea, and wishes a swift betterment to those injured.”

A idiosyncratic pays tribute adjacent the country of the assemblage surge during Halloween festivities, successful Seoul, connected Sunday.

Kim Hong-ji/Reuters

The decease toll pursuing Saturday’s assemblage surge astatine a packed Halloween solemnisation successful Seoul climbed to 154 dead, South Korea’s Interior and Safety Ministry said Sunday.

According to the ministry astatine slightest 26 overseas nationals died successful the tragedy.

The ministry said it is taking each measures to supply enactment to bereaved relatives of the foreigners killed successful the disaster, specified arsenic allowing introduction into South Korea and helping with ceremonial arrangements.

As a stunned and grieving South Korea grapples with a calamity that killed astatine slightest 153 people, questions are emerging astir however specified a catastrophe could person unfolded successful a fashionable country wherever radical are known to gather.

It’s hard to pinpoint what mightiness person triggered the crush – but authorities “would person anticipated precocious numbers … earlier Saturday night,” said Juliette Kayyem, a catastrophe absorption adept and nationalist information expert for CNN.

“There is simply a work connected the portion of the authorities to beryllium monitoring assemblage measurement successful existent time, truthful they tin consciousness the request to get radical out,” she added.

Suah Cho, 23, was caught up successful the assemblage but managed to flight into a gathering on the alley. When asked whether she had seen immoderate officials trying to bounds the fig of radical entering the alley, she replied: “Before the incident, not astatine all.”

Another eyewitness described the concern getting “worse and worse,” saying they could perceive “people asking for assistance for different people, due to the fact that determination were not capable rescuers that tin conscionable grip each that.”

What officials are saying: Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Interior and Safety, said connected Sunday that “a sizeable number” of constabulary and information forces had been sent to different portion of Seoul connected Saturday successful effect to expected protests there.

Meanwhile successful Itaewon, the assemblage had not been unusually large, helium said, truthful lone a “normal” level of information forces had been deployed there.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to instrumentality caller measures to forestall akin incidents from happening again, saying the authorities would “conduct exigency inspections not lone for Halloween events but besides for section festivals and thoroughly negociate them truthful they are conducted successful an orderly and harmless manner.”

A pistillate places flowers to wage tribute for victims successful Itaewon connected Sunday night.

Ahn Young-joon/AP

It’s been a small much than 24 hours since a deadly assemblage surge successful Seoul, South Korea turned a nighttime of Halloween solemnisation into a tragic nationalist emergency.

Tens of thousands of radical had packed the streets of the fashionable Itaewon vicinity Saturday earlier the assemblage grew truthful dense that radical became trapped and panicked.

If you’re conscionable joining us, here’s what you request to know:

• Packed streets scope a breaking point: Officials are inactive investigating precisely what took place. What’s wide is that the crowds grew excessively large, and authorities started getting calls astir radical “buried” successful the masses astir 10:30 p.m. section time. Panicked partygoers were pressed against 1 another with obscurity to go.
• The afloat scope of the calamity takes shape: With truthful galore radical hospitalized oregon unaccounted for, authoritative decease and wounded tolls weren’t initially clear. By Sunday nighttime section time, officials confirmed astatine slightest 153 radical were killed and 133 others hurt.
• Families hunt for loved ones: South Korea’s president urged officials to rapidly place victims for the involvement of disquieted families. By Sunday afternoon, much than 90% of the deceased had been identified. CNN spoke to a mother who was desperately searching hospitals for her daughter.
• A young, planetary assemblage of revelers: Authorities accidental the immense bulk of those wounded oregon killed successful the crush were successful their late teens oregon aboriginal 20s. Itaewon is famed for its Halloween celebrations, and it drew partygoers from adjacent and far. More than a twelve embassies confirmed citizens from their countries were among the victims.
• Demand was pent up for the celebration: Recent celebrations were muted by pandemic restrictions connected assemblage sizes and disguise mandates successful Itaewon. Saturday nighttime marked the archetypal Halloween since the state lifted these restrictions. Hotels and ticketed events successful the vicinity were booked solid.
• Never again, president vows: First responders said nary evident occurrence oregon state leak prompted the panic, and small much is known astir what precisely went wrong. Officials face questions astir whether they could person amended managed the crowds. South Korea’s president vowed to instrumentality caller policies to forestall specified tragedies.

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A thoroughfare successful Itaewon territory is pictured afloat of radical in Seoul connected Saturday night.

Yonhap/Reuters

f you’re successful a assemblage and radical are adjacent capable to bump against you, it could beryllium getting excessively crowded.

That’s according to G. Keith Still, a visiting prof of assemblage subject astatine the University of Suffolk and caput of GKStill International, a consultancy that trains lawsuit organizers connected however to spot danger.

Such events, similar the apparent assemblage surge astatine packed Halloween festivities successful the South Korean superior of Seoul and the tragedy at Houston’s Astroworld Festival successful Nov. 2021, person led to aggregate deaths and injuries.

Still, who has been studying the dynamics of assemblage behaviour and information for implicit 30 years, said organizers tin assistance forestall crowd-crushing incidents by monitoring a crowd’s density successful real-time and regulating the travel of radical into a venue.

Crowd density tin beryllium calculated successful fig of radical per quadrate meter, astir a quadrate yard. Younger, smaller radical inhabit little abstraction than older and larger people, but arsenic a regularisation things get uncomfortable erstwhile you scope 5 radical per quadrate meter, Still said — and thing much crowded tin go dangerous.

“When bodies are touching, that precocious vigor and density tin springiness emergence to these surges and assemblage collapses,” Still said.

One motion a assemblage has go excessively dense is what Still called a “field of wheat effect,” wherever radical are uncontrollably swaying. He said an illustration is disposable successful online videos of a 2005 Oasis performance successful Manchester, England, conscionable earlier a large surge rippled done the assemblage toward the stage.

The cardinal to preventing a disaster, Still said, is for organizers to ticker the density and, if it starts to get high, dilatory oregon halt the travel of radical entering the area. He said it’s overmuch harder to trim crowding erstwhile the concern has go excessively dense.

If a venue does get excessively crowded, Still said, performers should halt and inquire everyone to instrumentality a measurement back. Over the years, respective performers, including A$AP Rocky and Linkin Park, have done precisely that.

If you’re successful a crowd, Still said you tin assistance yourself enactment harmless by watching retired for areas apt to go astir crowded, and making your mode retired of the assemblage if you don’t person capable idiosyncratic space.

You tin larn much by viewing an interactive graphic here.

Police officers locomotion down the constrictive alleyway successful Itaewon connected Saturday night.

Kim Hong-ji/Reuters

At slightest 26 overseas nationals from 14 countries were killed successful Saturday’s assemblage crush successful Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea’s overseas ministry said successful a property merchandise Sunday.

The ministry said different 15 foreigners were injured. Most of them person returned home, portion six are inactive being treated successful the country.

The ministry said it is taking each measures to supply enactment to bereaved relatives of the foreigners killed successful the disaster, specified arsenic allowing introduction into South Korea and helping with ceremonial arrangements.

Two US citizens were among those killed successful Saturday’s Halloween catastrophe successful Itaewon, the fashionable nightlife territory successful South Korea’s superior Seoul, the US embassy told CNN.

“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,” an embassy connection work Sunday.

“The U.S. Embassy successful Seoul is moving intimately with section authorities and different spouse organizations to assistance U.S. citizens affected. We connection our sincerest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and proceed to assistance the injured. Due to privateness considerations, we person nary further details astatine this time.”

On Sunday, US Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Philip Goldberg said helium “expressed his sincerest condolences to the loved ones of each the deceased” successful Saturday’s assemblage crush successful Seoul.

At slightest 153 radical were killed successful a crush, with different 133 injured, erstwhile crowds of radical celebrating Halloween swelled successful constrictive alleys of Seoul’s fashionable nightlife district.

One Austrian was among those killed successful the Seoul Halloween assemblage surge, the Austrian overseas ministry said Sunday.

“We are shocked and profoundly saddened having to corroborate the decease of an Austrian national successful yesterday’s wide panic successful Seoul. The Austrian was connected a sojourn to the Korean capital,” Gabriele Juen, a diplomatic spokesperson, told CNN successful a connection Sunday.

“Our Embassy successful Seoul is successful interaction with the liable authorities and the relatives successful Austria and volition enactment them successful each further steps,” the connection added.

Relatives of missing radical weep astatine a assemblage work halfway successful Seoul connected October 30. 

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

The past clip Ahn Yeon-seon saw her girl was connected Saturday, erstwhile the 19-year-old asked for wealth truthful she could spell retired to observe Halloween with her boyfriend.

Hours later, Ahn received a telephone from the fellow saying her girl had died successful the crush that killed 151 radical successful the Itaewon nightlife territory of Seoul.

Ahn told South Korea’s Yonhap quality bureau that her girl had wanted to people the juncture due to the fact that her fellow was astir to undertake his mandatory subject service. Seven hours aft Ahn past saw her daughter, the fellow called, crying.

He said she had been “under a heap of radical for implicit an hr and that he’d tried to propulsion her retired but couldn’t,” Ahn said.

Since then, Ahn has been searching hospitals for her daughter, waiting for confirmation of what happened to her.

She spoke to Yonhap from Soonchunghyang University Hospital, wherever galore of the victims were taken.

Despite being young, her girl had started moving aboriginal to assistance enactment her household and rise her younger siblings aft the aboriginal decease of their father, her parent told Yonhap.

“I’ll conscionable support searching,” Ahn said.

Those who managed to fly the chaos successful Itaewon person shared their accounts astir what they saw on the ground.

One eyewitness Sung Sehyun, told CNN that the thoroughfare abstraction was similar a “jammed subway,” with Halloween partygoers packed truthful tightly that it was hard to determination around.

“I was fortunate to get done (but an) hr later, I heard radical got killed. Because radical got stamped connected … and radical got jammed together.”

The information of the concern besides did not scope galore others until it was excessively late.

Suah Cho said radical had started to propulsion and shove, and determination was a batch of screaming. She yet managed to instrumentality a detour and fled to information but had seen radical climbing buildings to survive.

“At that clip I realized however superior it was. Before I couldn’t truly tell. Ambulances and constabulary usually be these large events.”

A French nationalist is among those killed successful the Seoul Halloween assemblage surge, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“It is with large sadness that we learned of the decease of 1 of our compatriots during the calamity successful Seoul. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Europe via its situation enactment halfway and its embassy successful Seoul is afloat mobilized to assistance and enactment the household of our compatriot,” a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said successful a connection Sunday.

So far, China, Iran, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia, Norway and France person each confirmed deaths of their nationals successful the incidental that took spot successful the fashionable Seoul nightclub territory of Itaewon Saturday night.

Seoul Metropolitan Police said they person confirmed the identities of astir each those killed successful an evident assemblage surge at Seoul’s popular nightclub territory Itaewon connected Saturday.

The identities of 150 radical killed person been confirmed, constabulary told CNN connected Sunday. The decease toll from the catastrophe stands astatine 153.

The 3 bodies who person yet to beryllium identified are each young women whose nationalities person yet to beryllium verified, they added. 

The Seoul Metropolitan Government had said they had received 4,024 missing persons reports arsenic of 5 p.m. section clip (4 a.m. ET), though immoderate of these reports could subordinate to the aforesaid people.

Police said determination is nary progressive hunt for those reported missing arsenic they judge nary 1 went missing from the scene. They said thousands of missing idiosyncratic reports person been utilized to assistance place those killed successful the incident.

An English teacher successful Seoul who was passing done Itaewon connected Saturday nighttime recounted what she saw to CNN.

“There were rows and rows of radical with tarps covering them successful the street,” said Emily Farmer, 27.

Farmer, who was with 2 friends, said she did not spot immoderate assemblage power measures successful spot successful the area.

The calamity has killed astatine slightest 151 people and near dozens much hurt. Nineteen overseas nationals, from Iran, Norway, China and Uzbekistan, are besides among the dead. 

Farmer and her friends were “overwhelmed” by the crowds connected the thoroughfare and decided to participate a bar.

Shortly after, rumors started spreading that idiosyncratic had died and patrons were not allowed to leave. Farmer said she received an exigency connection from the authorities alerting them to “a unsafe concern successful the area.”

She was allowed to permission the barroom astatine astir midnight and she learned of the calamity that had taken spot conscionable outside.

“It was horrible,” she said. “Not everyone died instantly.”

“They were inactive pulling radical (out) due to the fact that it was truthful crowded,” she added.

Groups of radical were crying, she added. Many victims were receiving CPR and had their costumes taken disconnected to let medics astatine the country to resuscitate them.

She inactive hasn’t heard backmost from 2 acquaintances successful the country who she messaged past night. “I’m inactive successful shock. It was evidently precise traumatic,” she added.

Rescue crews seen successful the nightlife territory of Itaewon successful Seoul connected October 30.

Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

On Saturday night, tens of thousands of radical flooded into the streets of the Itaewon vicinity successful Seoul to observe Halloween.

But arsenic the nighttime went on, panic erupted arsenic the crowds swelled. What precisely caused the crush inactive isn’t clear, but witnesses accidental partygoers had been packed tightly successful the district’s constrictive streets and it was hard to determination around.

As of Sunday afternoon, 153 radical person been killed – making it 1 of the country’s worst disasters.

Here’s a recap of what other we cognize truthful far.