At least 151 people were killed and 150 injured at last count after being crushed by a large crowd of people gathered to celebrate Halloween in the South Korean capital of Seoul.
Local officials say that most of the dead are in their twenties. Among the dead are 19 foreigners, including three Chinese nationals.
Police in Seoul say they have information that up to 355 people are still missing.
Many survivors say that more people had gathered in the narrow alleys, with people lying on top of each other. At one point they could no longer breathe.
The police present at the scene were struggling to control the crowd.
It was the country’s first outdoor Halloween event since mask-wearing and social distancing restrictions were lifted following the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
A doctor in the city, who provided medical aid during the incident, said the death toll was rising so fast that medical staff could not cope.
He told a local television channel, “First I gave first aid to two people who were lying on the road. But suddenly the number increased drastically. It is very difficult to explain in words. So many faces of the victims were completely pale, I could not feel their pulse, many of them had bloody noses. .”
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared national mourning in the country.
He said, “My heart is heavy. It is difficult to overcome this grief.”
He described feeling “responsible for people’s lives and their safety”.
World leaders including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed grief over the incident.
Around 100,000 people are reported to have gathered for Halloween celebrations at Iteon, a popular nightlife area in Seoul.
According to a news report, this incident happened around 10 pm local time. A fire official told Reuters news agency that people on top of a hill in the area fell, causing a stampede among a large number of people on a narrow street.
However, the authorities say that they are still trying to find out what exactly caused this incident. The incident is under investigation.
A witness told the BBC that thousands of people had gathered in the area and had come out onto the main road to avoid being crushed by the crowd.
