The death toll from a stampede during Halloween celebrations in Seoul rose overnight and could rise further as 29 of the injured are in critical condition. Photo: Ministry of Interior/South Korea.
Seoul – The death toll from a crowd crush, which occurred in the Itaewon district of the South Korean capital during Halloween gatherings on Saturday night, rose overnight, the authorities said on Tuesday.
At least 156 people were killed and 151 others injured in the incident, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Twenty-six foreigners from 14 countries were among those killed.
The death toll could rise further as 29 people were in critical condition, authorities said.
The incident was believed to have been caused by huge crowds surging into a narrow, hilly alley in the popular nightlife district in Seoul and toppling over one another
South Korea’s national police commissioner, General Yoon Hee-keun, said on Tuesday that crowd control at the scene was inadequate.
Yoon Hee-keun said he felt responsible for public safety related to the accident and would do his best to make sure such a tragedy did not occur again.
Most of the victims were in their late teens, twenties and thirties. Among the dead, 101 were women.
The shortage of police officers to control the crowd, who got trapped and crushed on the overcrowded streets, was believed to have fuelled the country's deadliest disaster since 304 people died when a ferry sank in 2014.
The government announced a week of national mourning over the tragedy.
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