59 people were killed and 150 injured in a stampede in Seoul as a huge crowd flocked to a central area of the South Korean capital to celebrate Halloween late Saturday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The agency added that firefighting teams were making cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts for at least 50 people in Itaewon district at 11:30 pm local time (14:30 GMT).
A spokesman for the fire department confirmed the accident to Agence France-Presse that 140 ambulances had been sent to care for the victims.
Big Breaking
Stampede during Halloween event in Seoul causes many victims, at least 50 people in cardiac arrest.: Yonhap
People receiving CPR after stampede at Halloween party in Itaewon, Seoul;
A number of victims not yet known. https://t.co/FojnRvkDM1#SouthKorea #Seoul pic.twitter.com/Mox0q2BkGN
— QuickUpdates (@BIGBNOW) October 29, 2022
Pictures published by Yonhap showed more than a dozen people lying on a street, assisted by rescuers, while the police established a security cordon.
Footage on social media also showed members of the rescue teams and citizens helping several people at the scene.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol's office said the president had ordered an emergency medical team to be dispatched to the region and directed hospital beds to be prepared to reduce the number of casualties.
#BREAKING: #SouthKorea's fire department said 81 people have breathing problems after the #stampede at Itaewon in #Seoul, South Korea Saturday night when over 100 thousand revellers crammed into the place for #Halloween celebrations.#SeoulStampede pic.twitter.com/QwyWcYTj43
— Media Warrior (@MediaWarriorY) October 29, 2022