What we know about the deadly Halloween disaster in Seoul - CNN

Seoul, South Korea CNN  — 

Most weekends, the constrictive alleys of Itaewon, the neon-lit nightlife territory successful South Korea’s superior Seoul, are engaged with partygoers and tourists. Now it’s the tract of one of the country’s worst disasters.

On Saturday night, tens of thousands of radical flooded into the country successful cardinal Seoul to observe Halloween – but panic erupted arsenic the crowds swelled, with immoderate witnesses saying it became hard to respire and intolerable to move.

More than 150 radical were killed successful the crush, with dozens much injured. Authorities person present launched an urgent probe to find retired however what was expected to beryllium a nighttime of solemnisation went truthful horribly wrong, arsenic families crossed the state mourn and hunt for missing loved ones.

Here’s what we cognize truthful far.

Itaewon has agelong been a fashionable spot to observe Halloween, particularly arsenic the vacation became much fashionable successful Asia successful caller years. Some adjacent alert into Seoul from different countries successful the portion for the festivities.

But for the past 2 years, celebrations were muted by pandemic restrictions connected assemblage sizes and disguise mandates.

Saturday nighttime marked the archetypal Halloween since the state lifted these restrictions – lending it peculiar value for galore anxious participants successful Seoul, arsenic good arsenic planetary visitors including overseas residents and tourists.

Hotels and ticketed events successful the vicinity had been booked coagulated successful advance, and ample crowds were expected.

Witnesses told CNN determination was precise small – if immoderate – assemblage power earlier the wide of radical turned deadly.

Videos and photos posted to societal media amusement radical crammed together, lasting enarthrosis to enarthrosis successful the constrictive street.

Crowds are not antithetic for that area, oregon for Seoul residents, who are utilized to jam-packed subways and streets successful a metropolis of astir 10 million.

One eyewitness said it took immoderate clip for radical to recognize thing was wrong, with people’s panicked screams competing with euphony blaring from the surrounding clubs and bars.

After the archetypal exigency calls came successful astir 10:24 p.m., authorities rushed to the country – but the sheer measurement of radical made it hard to scope those who needed help.

Video posted to societal media showed radical performing compressions connected different partygoers lying connected the crushed arsenic they waited for aesculapian assistance.

The thousands of radical successful Halloween costumes contributed to the wide consciousness of disorder and chaos. One witnesser described seeing a constabulary serviceman shouting during the catastrophe – but immoderate revelers mistook him for different partygoer.

The origin of the crush is inactive nether investigation, though officials said determination were nary state leaks oregon fires connected site.

The casualties were young, mostly successful their teens and aboriginal 20s, authorities said. Known for its nightlife and trendy restaurants, Itaewon is fashionable among backpackers and planetary students.

Among the 154 dormant were astatine slightest 26 overseas nationals, with victims from the United States, China, Iran, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia, Norway and France, according to authorities.

Nearly each of the victims – astatine slightest 150 – person been identified; constabulary told CNN. The toll included 56 men and 97 women, South Korea’s Interior and Safety Ministry reported.

As of 5 p.m. section clip Sunday (4 a.m. ET), the fig of radical injured had risen to 133, of whom 37 were earnestly injured, the ministry said.

As of 2 p.m. Sunday section time, Seoul authorities had received 3,580 missing persons reports, said the metropolis government. That fig could see aggregate reports for the aforesaid person, oregon reports filed Saturday nighttime for radical who person since been found.

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.

As the catastrophe unfolded Saturday night, much than 1,700 exigency effect forces were dispatched, including much than 500 firefighters, 1,100 constabulary officials, and astir 70 authorities workers.

President Yoon Suk Yeol called an exigency gathering and urged officials to place the dormant arsenic soon arsenic possible.

But adjacent hours later, families were inactive waiting to find retired if their loved ones survived.

In the contiguous aftermath, galore radical were transferred to adjacent facilities, portion bodies were taken to aggregate infirmary mortuaries. Families gathered astatine sites adjacent the scene, wherever officials were compiling the names of the missing and deceased.

Yoon promised 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.”

The authorities volition besides supply intelligence attraction and a money for families of the deceased and injured. Authorities person declared a nationalist mourning play until November 5, and designated the territory of Yongsan-gu, wherever Itaewon is located, a peculiar catastrophe area.

As a stunned and grieving federation grapples with the tragedy, questions are besides 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.”