South Korea’s president has declared a national period of mourning over a stampede during Halloween festivities – as the number of deaths has risen to 153.
President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed condolences to the victims and wished for a speedy recovery for the injured in a statement on Sunday, before visiting the scene of the crowd crush.
“This is truly tragic,” he said. “A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul last night.”
South Korean media initially reported that a total of 151 people were killed in the crowd crush in a packed nightlife area in Seoul on Saturday night, while at least 82 were injured.
But there were fears the number could continue to grow as 19 people among the 82 being treated for injuries are in critical condition and now it is being reported 153 have been declared dead.
The victims were crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween celebrations near the Hamilton Hotel in the Itaewon area.
Most of the bodies have been sent to hospitals, while the rest are being taken to a nearby gym so that they can be identified, he added.
A fire official said most of the dead are in their teens and 20s, and that 19 of the injured are in serious condition, according to Reuters news agency.
Footage on social media showed many victims lying on the pavement as workers from the emergency services and bystanders performed CPR in an effort to revive them.
All available emergency services personnel in Seoul were deployed to the streets to treat the injured following the stampede – with the National Fire Agency saying more than 1,700 responders attended the scene.
It is unclear what prompted the crowd surge, although some local media reports said a large number of people had rushed to the area after hearing an unidentified celebrity had been there.
