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Eyewitness about the crowd: "People stacked on top of each other like in a grave"  Seoul's mayor cancels visit to Europe

Crowded, some fall: this crush became a deadly trap

It was supposed to be South Korea's biggest party. After the corona pandemic, it was finally time to celebrate again – but the evening ended as a death drama.

Outsiders tried to rescue people from the crowd.

According to local authorities, at least 150 people died during a Halloween celebration in the capital Seoul. Presumed trigger: You were crushed in a narrow street by the crowd.

The death toll could possibly rise further. Another 82 visitors were injured, more than a dozen of them seriously. Nineteen foreigners are among the dead. One hundred thousand people attended the massive festival.

Many of the festival goers were shocked. They cried for the many victims of the initially happy evening.

Then, at 10:20 p.m., disaster struck!

According to eyewitnesses, the mass accident happened when extreme crowding occurred in a narrow, gently sloping alleyway in the busy Itaewon area.

Hundreds of rescue workers were on duty taking care of the victims.

For the visitors, the alley, which is not even 100 meters long, with bars and restaurants on both sides, became a trap: numerous visitors fell to the ground while others moved up. The crowds had backed up behind.

Hundreds of rescue workers were on duty taking care of the victims.

An eyewitness told the South Korean news agency Yonhap about the crowd: "People were layered on top of each other like in a tomb. Some gradually lost consciousness, while others looked dead by then."

A young festival visitor is being examined by paramedics and is wrapped in a rescue blanket.

Another said he was in the crowd himself. People would have gasped and screamed for help. Instead, he was trampled for an hour and a half before he could be rescued.

400 rescue workers from all over the country were deployed to treat the injured - including all the forces available in Seoul.

Videos on social media showed first responders resuscitating several people lying in the street. Many of the victims were smothered, crushed, or trampled on.

A policeman speaks of mass panic.

Police also confirmed that dozens of people were resuscitated on the streets of Itaewon. Many others were taken to nearby hospitals, including foreigners.

The exact circumstances of the disaster are still unclear; the police said they would also check whether there were violations of safety regulations. According to eyewitness reports, the alleys around the accident site were so crowded that the rescue workers had difficulty making their way through the crowds and reaching the victims.

Local media, in turn, reported that the mass rush was also triggered because a prominent YouTuber was on his way to a club on the affected street or had already arrived there. So that attracted a lot of people again.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (61) called an emergency meeting and instructed the Ministry of Health to immediately send emergency medical aid teams and secure beds for the injured in hospitals.

"This is really awful," he said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday. (S Korea local time) The tragedy shouldn't have happened. As the President responsible for the life and safety of the citizens, he feels deep sadness. The government will declare the phase until the incident is under control, a national mourning period. He vowed to "investigate thoroughly" the incident and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (61), currently visiting Europe, is said to have announced his immediate return, according to Yonhap.

President Biden stated he and his wife, Jill, mourned with the people of South Korea. The alliance between our countries has never been more vibrant and alive - and the ties between our citizens stronger than ever."