This was reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap on Sunday night (local time), citing official information. The condition of some of the injured is serious. The number of deaths could therefore continue to rise. The tragedy happened in Itaewon, a nightlife district in the South Korean capital.
During the celebrations, a large number of people fell in a narrow alley in the city center, the fire brigade said. The accident happened late in the evening around 10:20 p.m. local time (3:20 p.m. CEST). Several people suffered cardiac arrest. Several foreigners were also taken to hospitals. Up to 150 ambulances were deployed.
Videos distributed on social media showed how rescue workers and private individuals provided first aid at the scene of the accident. However, the authenticity of the material was initially uncertain. It is the first Halloween celebrations in South Korea since the outbreak of the corona pandemic in 2020.
According to his office, President Yon Suk-yeol called an emergency meeting and ordered more rescue workers to be sent to the scene of the accident.
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said on Twitter (originally in English): “I have just returned from South Korea and am deeply shocked by the tragic mass panic in #Seoul tonight. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and everyone who injured in the stampede.”
Schallenberg had visited South Korea as part of a trip that lasted from Friday to Wednesday in the past few days. The occasion was the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Austria and Korea, which had been upgraded to a “strategic partnership” last year.
Source: Nachrichten
