International
South Korea Halloween crowd crush kills 151─── 06:41 Sun, 30 Oct 2022
South Korea's president has declared a national period of mourning over a stampede during Halloween festivities - as the number of deaths has risen to 151.
President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed condolences to the victims and wished for a speedy recovery for the injured in a statement on Sunday, before visiting the scene of the crowd crush.
"This is truly tragic," he said. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul last night."
South Korean media reported that a total of 151 people were killed in the crowd crush in a packed nightlife area in Seoul on Saturday night, while at least 150 were injured.
Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul's Yongsan Fire Department, said the number of deaths could rise and that an unspecified number of the injured were in critical condition - with at least 50 people being treated for cardiac arrest.
The victims were crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween celebrations near the Hamilton Hotel in the Itaewon area.
