A video is circulating on social media that shows police and firemen trying to revive at least 50 people who went into cardiac arrest after a stampede at a prominent market in South Korea's capital Seoul during Halloween festivities. A crowd of around 1 lakh was gathered on Saturday night in Itaewon, a central district of the megacity which has hundreds of shops and some particularly narrow streets.
Officials say the death toll has increased to 59 in Seoul crowd surge at popular party area Itaewon, reports AP. Dozens of people fell unconscious near a hotel just before midnight, as per the reports of the Korea Herald. About 81 reports have been received regarding breathing difficulties as of 11:30 pm, said the report.
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The video shows that along with the police and firemen, common people also attempted resuscitation by pressing the chest to revive the heart. Following the incident, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for those injured and review the safety of the festivity sites, as per PTI reports.
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A journalist with The Korea Herald, Hyunsu Yim, tweeted: "Absolute scenes of chaos in Itaewon right now as the Halloween night has turned into a major safety hazard with at least several party-goers being carried into ambulances."
An official from the National Fire Agency Choi Cheon-sik said that around 100 people were reported as injured during the crowd surge Saturday night in the Itaewon leisure district. He did not give a specific number of the people being treated for cardiac arrest Sunday but said they were in the dozens.
Choi also informed that it was believed that people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul. Police said dozens of people are being given CPR on Itaewon streets while many others have been taken to nearby hospitals.
A local police officer said he was also informed that a stampede occurred on Itaewon's streets where a crowd of people gathered for Halloween festivities. The officer requested anonymity, saying the details of the incident were still under investigation. Some local media reports earlier said the crush happened after a large number of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing an unidentified celebrity visited there.
(With inputs from PTI)
