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People dressed for Halloween parties fleeing in panic, desperate attempts to provide first aid on the sidewalks, bodies lying under makeshift shrouds: a celebration in the Itaewon district of seoul turned into tragedy.
Almost 150 people died in a stampede whose cause has not been explained, in this popular and cosmopolitan district of the South Korean capital, near a former US military base and known for its bars and nightclubs.
Look: The deadliest stampedes of the last ten years
Tens of thousands of people, mostly young people in elaborate costumes of Halloweencame to the district on Saturday night for the first party of Halloween since the lifting of most restrictions due to covid-19.
“My friend said: something terrible is happening outside”said Jeon Ga-eul, 30, who was having a drink at a bar when the stampede.
“I said: what are you talking about? And then I went out to see and there were people giving first aid in the street.
The district, immortalized in the popular 2020 drama Itaewon Class, is a labyrinth of steep, twisting alleys on both sides of the main street.
The crowd was unusually dense on Saturday night, witnesses told AFP. Jeon commented that even before the disaster he felt insecure.
“There were so many people pushing each other, I got caught in the first crowd and at first I couldn’t get out.” he remembered.
“It felt like an accident was going to happen.”
bystanders help
The stampede It happened in a narrow alley near Itaewon’s Hamilton Hotel.
Faced with the huge number of victims, rescuers asked passers-by to help provide first aid to victims on the street.
The bodies of people who were crushed or trampled to death were spread out in rows, covered with makeshift blankets or shrouds.
Hundreds of ambulances lined up in front of Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital, where scores of victims were taken.
At the site, cordoned off by police, music continued to play from some of the bars.
Passers-by sat on the sidewalk checking their mobile phones. Some gave each other hugs of consolation while others, apparently unaware of the magnitude of the tragedy that had occurred at their side, continued to celebrate.
Police investigators searched the debris-strewn alley.
“There is always a crowd but nothing like this had happened before”, cJu Young Possamai, 24, a waiter in Itaewon, told AFP.
“I’ve been to a lot of parties. Halloween in Corea”assured. “I never thought something like this could happen in Korea, especially Itaewon.”
Source: Elcomercio
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
