Itaewon Halloween tragedy: The death toll reached 154 including 26 foreigners
ITAEWON: The death toll from a stampede during the Halloween celebration in Itaewon, Seoul rose to 154, including 26 foreigners, Yonhap News Agency reported .
The death toll is expected to rise as 33 victims suffered serious injuries, according to officials at the Central Disaster Prevention and Security Headquarters.
A total of 116 others suffered minor injuries while almost all the dead have been identified.
The foreigners killed reached 26 including five from Iran, four each from China and Russia, two from the United States, two from Japan and one each from France, Australia, Norway, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka.
The incident occurred on Saturday night when a large group of visitors gathered in conjunction with the Halloween party and filled a narrow 3.2 meter wide alley in the Itaewon district of Seoul.
The collision was described as the worst incident in South Korea since the tragedy of the Sewol ferry sinking off the southern coast in 2014 which claimed 304 lives, mostly high school students.
The incident took place in a narrow 40-meter long alley that connects the restaurant to the main road and six adults cannot pass through that area at the same time.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.
President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a week-long mourning period starting Sunday and flags were flown at half-mast.
source – BERNAMA
