Around 50 people are reported to have suffered cardiac arrest in a major traffic accident in connection with Halloween celebrations in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Choi Cheon-sik of South Korea's emergency services says people are believed to have died in the incident, but that has not yet been confirmed.

Around 100 people have been injured.

The accident happened on a narrow street in Seoul's Itaewon entertainment district.

More than 400 people from the emergency services have been dispatched to help the injured.

According to the police, tens of people receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the spot, while many have been taken to hospital.

In a statement, South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol calls on responsible authorities to ensure that the injured receive prompt treatment.

He also urged the Department of Health to ensure that there are available beds in nearby hospitals to assist the injured.