South Korean president declares national day of mourning after 151 deaths at Halloween party

“It’s a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened,” South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol said Saturday night after Halloween celebrations led to the Das disaster. Crowds of people crowded a narrow street near the Hamilton Hotel, a popular party venue in Seoul. And 151 of those present died as a result of being run over or unable to breathe. South Korea will hold a day of national mourning for the victims, most of whom are in their 20s, on Sunday.

It concerns 97 women and 54 men. Among them were 19 from abroad, including China, Iran, Uzbekistan and Norway. There were no reports of Belgian casualties. This is according to fire service numbers.

According to local media, 100,000 revelers gathered at the popular Itaewon entertainment district in the capital, Seoul. It was the first Halloween party without mouth masks and social distancing Since the corona pandemic. The turnout was probably much greater than expected. The atmosphere was reportedly bleak and the police had little control over the crowd. Panic erupted when a large group was crammed into a narrow street heading down at about ten in the evening. The people on top of the cliff lost their balance and fell on top of the others, causing them to run over and suffocate.

Pictures on social media show how people are lying on the streets everywhere. Many of them are immediately cared for and resuscitated by rescuers and bystanders. The first ambulances did not reach the victims until an hour after the first call. The emergency services were completely blocked by the large numbers of revelers.

President Yoon Seok Yeol said the government will “carefully investigate the cause of the drama so that such an incident does not happen again in the future.” Police will investigate whether bars and clubs have complied with security measures. Complaints poured in on social media that bar and club owners were closing their doors, preventing people from escaping the crowded streets.

I managed to stick to the tube next to the shop. I don’t even remember losing things. “I just walked out thinking I was lucky I didn’t die,” one wrote on Twitter. Many also reported that having some celebrities made people start pushing against each other. However, these claims have not been independently verified.