Seoul cries… What to know about Itaewon’s Halloween tragedy?
ITAEWON in Seoul, South Korea has indeed been the ‘host’ for Halloween celebrations for a long time, but since the pandemic hit, the event has been delayed and is eagerly awaited by its fans.
As a destination in Asia popular with the celebration, visitors from outside Seoul and foreign tourists from regional countries are also excited. They listed the event in the district known for its nightlife as a ‘must go’ event in their holiday calendar.
Not to mention since the government relaxed the rules on gathering conditions in public places, which were previously strictly guarded because it was one of the strategies to curb COVID-19. Therefore, the organization of the Halloween celebration this time triggered the desire of many people to be ‘extraordinary’.
But what happened last Saturday night was shocking and heartbreaking. The incident of stampeding visitors during the Halloween celebration there saw 151 people die.
Citing a CNN report , the incident that happened in Itaewon district also caused 156 people to be injured.
In the meantime, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol today announced a period of mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast following a stampede during the Halloween celebration in Seoul.
What should be known about this terrible tragedy?
1) The city is already dense
The public should know that the city of Seoul itself is dense with a population of 10 million people. Without this kind of celebration, the local residents are already aware of the daily crowd and congestion. Now coupled with the organization of Halloween night parties that make more people from outside Seoul arrive in the city, then fill the main area, both in the wide streets and narrow alleys around it.
2) Teenage victims.
An estimated 100,000 people gathered in Itaewon for the largest outdoor Halloween celebration since the pandemic began. Most of the victims who died in the tragedy were teenagers and adults in their 20s.
3) Heart attack causes death
Due to being trapped in a narrow alley, the situation became uncontrollable and caused many of them to experience suffocation. They try to push each other to find breathing space. One survivor said people started falling and bumping into each other from being pushed.
4) Halloween costumes become death costumes
Many victims lying on the road in need of breathing assistance were seen wearing various Halloween costumes.
5) Thousands of emergency personnel were sent to the scene
More than 1,700 emergency medical personnel were ordered to the scene including 517 firefighters, 1,100 police officers and about 70 government employees.
6) It is difficult to identify the identity of the victim
Authorities had difficulty identifying the victim. They have also asked the victims’ families for help in identifying the bodies of their family members.
7) Foreign tourists died
At least 19 foreigners were confirmed dead in the crash, including those from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway. The Seoul city government also received many reports of missing foreign tourists.
8) The number of victims may increase
The latest report informs that so far a total of 151 people have been reported dead. Local health authorities expect the figure to likely continue to rise. This is because there are quite a lot of injured and critical victims who are currently being treated in hospital. The government will also assist in the burial process and mobilize emergency medical services to treat patients including assigning civil servants to help those in need.
source – Faida Rahim
