South Korea stampede: What went wrong at Seoul Halloween event

At least 120 people died and 150 were injured in a stampede in the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday. According to early reports, the victims had been celebrating Halloween on narrow streets. Shocking videos on social media show emergency responders tending to dozens of people lying motionless in the streets of the city and giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. Seoul's fire department chief Choi Seong-Beom said the death toll can increase. The incident took place near Hamilton Hotel, a party spot.  

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called an emergency meeting.

What went wrong?

This is the first no-mask Halloween since the pandemic hit South Korean shores. Hence, there was more than expected footfall in the narrow lanes around the Hamilton Hotel. 

Per BBC, nearly 100,000 Halloween revellers thronged the area. Prior to the accident, several people on social media said that the Itaewon area felt unsafe due to overcrowding. 

Scores of bodies covered with blue sheets were strewn across the street. 

Also read: Shocking videos show South Korean authorities reviving dozens after stampede at Seoul Halloween event

Al Jazeera reported that the accident took place as a large mass of people rushed toward a bar after hearing that a celebrity was there. It isn't clear who the celebrity was. 

The government has dispatched 400 emergency responders to tackle the situation. 

Following reports of the incident, President Yoon Suk-yeol said, "All related ministries and agencies, led by the minister of public administration and security, should make every effort to promptly provide aid to the victims", reported the Korean Herald.