At least 50 people are in cardiorespiratory arrest after being crushed by an avalanche of people on a narrow street in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, during the Halloween festivities, according to authorities who fear several deaths.
Choi Cheon-sik, an official with the National Fire Agency, said about 100 people were injured Saturday night in the Itaewon entertainment district and about 50 were being treated for cardiac arrest as of early Sunday (local time). ).
Choi said
several people are believed to have been crushed
to death after a large crowd started pushing in a narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel, a major party venue in Seoul.
Rescue teams and firefighters work at the scene where dozens of people were injured in a stampede during Halloween in Seoul, South Korea, October 30, 2022. YONHAP NEWS AGENCY via REUTERS
It added that more than 400 emergency workers from across the country, including virtually all available personnel in Seoul, were deployed to the streets to treat the injured.
Authorities did not immediately release the death toll.
Police confirmed that dozens of people were receiving CPR on the streets of Itaewon, while many others have been taken to nearby hospitals.
Rescuers carry an injured person on a stretcher in the Itaewon district of Seoul. EFE
Some local media reported earlier that the hit-and-run occurred after a large number of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing that an unidentified celebrity was visiting.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling on authorities to ensure prompt treatment of the injured and review the security of the party venues.
He also instructed the Ministry of Health to rapidly deploy disaster relief teams and secure beds in nearby hospitals to treat the wounded.
With information from AP and Efe.