South Korea Halloween stampede toll at 151, survivors recount horror: Updates

Majority of victims in Seoul Halloween disaster were young women in their 20s, officials said, who died due to being suffocated in the tightly-packed crowd in the narrow, sloping alleyway at the heart of the accident.

At least 151 people have died in a stampede as huge Halloween crowds surged into a narrow street in South Korea’s capital, Seoul as officials fear the death count could rise further. At least 82 people are believed to be injured and were rushed to the hospital in what has become the country’s worst disaster in years. Read more

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent condolences to South Korea, state media reported, saying he was "shocked" to learn of a stampede at a Halloween celebration in the country's capital that killed more than 150 people.

As the death toll exceeds 150 following a stampede during Halloween celebrations in Seoul, South Korea is canceling events from government briefings to K-pop concerts.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday announced a period of national mourning and ordered the lowering of flags over a deadly Seoul stampede during Halloween celebrations that killed at least 151 people, including 19 foreigners, media reports said.

At least 151 people were killed and 82 others were injured in a deadly stampede during Halloween celebrations in Seoul's Itaewon district on Saturday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported citing authorities.

Nineteen foreigners were among those killed in the stampede, South Korea's fire department told AFP Sunday.

“Deeply shocked at the loss of so many young lives due to the stampede in Seoul. Our condolences to the families of those who lost their dear ones. We stand in solidarity with the Republic of Korea during this difficult time,” foreign minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

The toll of the Halloween stampede in South Korea rises to 151 as more bodies are being recovered from the tragic site of the narrow alley in a nightlife area of Seoul. Most of the dead were in their 20s and the authorities have ruled out any involvement of drugs in the incident. Read more

Scenes of chaos and panic played out in the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday as a huge stampede broke out in what marked the city's first Halloween event in three years, killing 151 people and injuring dozens. Read more

The toll in Seoul stampede incident has risen to 151 people, local media reports.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday declared national mourning period over a stampede during Halloween festivities, saying it was so miserable to see such a disaster happening in the heart of Seoul, Reuters reported, citing the local media.

It happened at a music festival in Houston, a soccer stadium in England, during a hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, in a Chicago nightclub, and countless other gatherings: Large crowds surge toward exits, onto playing fields or press up against a stage with such force that people are literally squeezed to death. Read more

Morning visuals from the spot of the deadly stampede in Seoul that broke out during Halloween festivities.

Leaders across the world sent their condolences to Seoul on Saturday after at least 149 people were killed in a stampede at a Halloween event in South Korea, calling the incident tragic.

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The accident is the worst to take place in South Korea since the sinking of the Sewol Ferry in 2014 killed 304 people, leading to criticisms against the government at the time for its response to the emergency.

US President Joe Biden sent his condolences to Seoul Saturday, saying the United States "stands with" South Korea following a deadly stampede at a Halloween celebration in the country's capital that has killed nearly 150 people.

"We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured," Biden said in a statement, adding that the United States "stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time."

A further 150 people were injured in the melee in Seoul's Itaewon district, Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene.

President Yoon Suk Yeol held another emergency meeting Sunday, Yonhap reported, following an earlier briefing in the immediate aftermath of the stampede. He ordered ministries to provide swift first aid and treatment to those injured in the accident and to review safety measures.

Nearby clubs had been searched and no injured or dead were found there, authorities said. There was no sign that any narcotics were involved in the stampede.

Another survivor, named Lee Chang-kyu, said he saw about five to six men push others before one or two began falling, according to the newspaper.

One survivor said many people fell and toppled one another “like dominos” after they were being pushed by others. The survivor, surnamed Kim, said they were trapped for about an hour and a half before being rescued, as some people shouted “Help me!” and others were short of breath, according to the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper.

It was not immediately clear what led the crowd to surge into the narrow downhill alley near the Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday offered France's "heartfelt" support to South Korea after more than 140 people were killed in a stampede during Halloween festivities in central Seoul.

"Heartfelt thoughts for the residents of Seoul and the Korean people after the tragedy at Itaewon. France is by your side," Macron said on Twitter.