• The death toll from a stampede during Halloween festivities in Seoul has risen to 153.
• The president of South Korea proclaimed a national day of mourning on Sunday.
• President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his sympathies to the victims and wished the injured a swift recovery.

As the death toll from a stampede during Halloween festivities increased to 153, the president of South Korea proclaimed a national day of mourning.

Prior to going to the scene of the crowd crush on Sunday, President Yoon Suk-yeol issued a statement expressing his sympathies to the victims and wishing the injured a swift recovery.

He stated, “This is absolutely tragic.” Last night, a catastrophe and disaster that shouldn’t have happened occurred in the center of Seoul.

Initial reports from South Korean media said that a crowd crush on Saturday night in a crowded nightlife area of Seoul resulted in a total of 151 fatalities and at least 82 injuries.

However, there were concerns the number could increase further given that 153 people have already been pronounced dead and that 19 of the 82 injured people receiving medical attention are in severe condition.

The number of fatalities could increase, according to Choi Seong-beom, chief of the Yongsan fire department in Seoul, while an undisclosed number of the injured were in severe condition, with at least 50 individuals receiving treatment for cardiac arrest.

During Halloween festivities outside the Hamilton Hotel in the Itaewon neighborhood, the victims were crushed by a massive crowd surging forward on a small street.

He stated that the majority of the bodies have been brought to area hospitals, while the remainder are being taken to a gym so that they can be recognized.

According to a fire officer quoted by Reuters, the most of the fatalities were reported to be between the ages of 20 and 30.

Social media videos showed numerous casualties lying on the ground as emergency personnel and onlookers tried to revive them with CPR.

The National Fire Agency reported that more than 1,700 rescuers responded to the site. All of Seoul’s emergency services employees were deployed to the streets to assist the injured after the stampede.

Although some local media reports claimed a huge number of people flocked to the area after learning an unnamed celebrity had been there, it is unclear what precipitated the crowd surge.

Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, was in Europe at the time but decided to come back home after hearing the news.

Following the stampede, President Yoon presided over an urgent meeting.

In a statement, he urged officials to guarantee the injured received prompt medical attention and to examine the festival venues’ security.
The largest Halloween celebrations in years were held in Itaewon, according to local media, as a result of the recent relaxation of COVID-19 regulations.

Many foreign leaders have expressed their sorrow to South Korea, including US President Joe Biden, who said: “Jill and I send our sincere sympathies to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We express our condolences to the people of the Republic of Korea and wish everyone who was hurt a speedy recovery.

The bonds between our people are closer than ever, and the Alliance between our two nations has never been more vital or alive. In this tragic time, the United States supports the Republic of Korea.

The news was called “horrific” by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who also said that “all our sympathies are with those now reacting and all South Koreans at this most painful moment.”

While Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his “thoughts and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery to those who have been hurt,” he also said he was “thinking of everyone affected by this tragedy.”

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