Halloween

2022 - 10 - 29

Itaewon - Seoul - Seoul Halloween - itaewon accident

At least 149 killed in Seoul Halloween crowd surge (CNN)

More than 140 people are now reported to have been killed during an incident at Halloween festivities in Seoul, according to fire authorities.

[Authorities said](https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/seoul-south-korea-halloween-deaths#h_ff225fb5483df845912084178f401ffd) the emergency was not due to a gas leak or a fire in the popular nightclub district. [reported](https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/seoul-south-korea-halloween-deaths#h_47b30d4279a84877cd25931839f98e33) dozens of people suffered from “cardiac arrest” and trouble breathing. [were jammed](https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/seoul-south-korea-halloween-deaths#h_ff225fb5483df845912084178f401ffd) on a narrow street and could not breathe. “The person in the middle got jammed, so they had no way to communicate. “I saw the people going to the left side and I saw the person getting to the opposite side,” Sung Sehyun told CNN. The cause of injuries and deaths in the incident has not been officially confirmed, added Choi Jae-won, the head of Yongsan Health Center.

World leaders grieve deadly Halloween crowd surge in Seoul (ABC News)

World leaders have expressed sadness and condolences after at least 151 people were killed in a crowd surge Saturday night in Seoul, South Korea.

“They were looking for a night of lighthearted Halloween festivities but instead found real horror and death,” said Baerbock. He also expressed condolences to the victims of the accident and their families. “The Itaewon community has opened its arms to us for many years and is part of the reason our Alliance is so strong,” the command said, writing in English and Korean. “The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time.” The area is still home to restaurants, bars and other businesses catering to the American community in Seoul. The tragedy occurred in Seoul’s Itaewon district during Halloween festivities when a huge crowd surged into a narrow downhill alley.

Halloween crowd surge in South Korea leaves at least 146 dead ... (Axios)

The big picture: The horrifying incident appears to be one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea since the Sewol ferry capsized in 2014 and 304 were killed.

[Al Jazeera.](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/28/deadly-stampede-at-a-church-in-nigeria) Context: There have been other deadly crushes such as what happened in South Korea. [CBS Sports.](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/indonesia-plans-to-demolish-soccer-stadium-where-more-than-130-people-were-killed-in-stampede/#:~:text=Indonesia%20plans%20to%20demolish%20and,the%20sport%20throughout%20the%20country.) We should take them to urgent medical treatment as quickly as possible,” Yoon said, per the New York Times. [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/29/itaewon-seoul-halloween-stampede/). The death toll is expected to rise.

2 Americans are among the dead in the Halloween crowd surge in ... (NPR)

South Korean officials say at least 26 foreign nationals were among the more than 150 people killed in the incident in Seoul's Itaewon district.

"Jill and I are devastated to learn that at least two Americans are among so many who lost their lives in Seoul. "We will be there for those in our community who knew and loved Anne. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Philip Goldberg said in a statement. Embassy in Seoul is working with local authorities and providing consular assistance to any U.S. And people started screaming, and the crowd poured in toward our club," he said. Gieske was a junior nursing student from Northern Kentucky who was studying in South Korea as part of an education abroad program. The outlet quotes Lee saying that the crush did not seem to be "an incident that could have been prevented by deploying more police or fire officers." There was nobody to help me," he said. "But even after we did that, there were people collapsed at the entrance, and some passed out," he added. Park Kang-hyun, 26, traveled to Seoul from Gwangju city, in the country's southeast, in search of two missing friends. The friend who survived said "there were just too many people. Many were attempting to gather in a narrow alley filled with bars and restaurants, according to local media.

Over 150 killed in Seoul Halloween crowd surge (CNN)

Over 150 people were killed and dozens more hurt in an apparent crowd surge during packed Halloween festivities in Seoul, according to fire authorities.

Over the years, several performers, including A$AP Rocky and Linkin Park, He said it’s much harder to reduce crowding once the situation has become too dense. Younger, smaller people occupy less space than older and larger people, but as a rule things get uncomfortable once you reach five people per square meter, Still said — and anything more crowded can become dangerous. He said an example is visible in online 2021, have led to multiple deaths and injuries. [Crowd density can be calculated in number of people per square meter](https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/11/us/crowd-density-dangerous-warning-signs/), roughly a square yard.

'Like a hell': Relatives search for loved ones in Seoul after ... (USA TODAY)

Relatives in Seoul desperately searched for loved ones at hospitals Sunday after a crowd surge left more than 150 people dead over the weekend.

The ferry disaster exposed regulatory failures and led to criticism of lax safety rules. More than 80% of the dead are in their 20s and 30s, and at least four were teenagers. Upon arrival, he found several bodies in the street and multiple people trying to help. It's unclear what led to the crowd surge, but some said many people fell and toppled one another after they were pushed by others. Halloween revelers swelled into a narrow alley in the city's Itaewon area Saturday night, leaving dozens of young people trampled and crushed on the street. It was not immediately clear what led the crowd to surge into the street.

Generation gap contributed to South Korea Halloween disaster (Los Angeles Times)

Some say a cultural gap between South Korea's elder and younger generations may have contributed to inadequate security at a crowded Halloween event.

“More and more people are exposed to what’s happening during Halloween, and you’re seeing people in makeup and matching outfits,” Shin said. “It’s a different kind of energy than other hot spots in Seoul.” A family dressed as dinosaurs,” the report read. “They thought the event at Itaewon isn’t as important, but the tragedy happened here,” Lee said. For a BTS concert earlier this month that attracted 55,000 to the city of Busan — about half the number that had been expected at Itaewon — some 1,300 police officers were assigned, [ in addition to 2,700 security officers, volunteers and others who controlled the crowd,](https://mobile.newsis.com/view.html?ar_id=NISX20221021_0002057010) according to a report from Newsis, a Korean news agency. Unlike Christmas and Valentine’s Day, which are family- or couples-oriented, Halloween is a day when you can have fun with your friends, she said. Increasingly, online streamers also broadcast live from the streets, said Grace Shin, a reporter at Arirang TV in Seoul. There was none of that,” said Torsten Ingvaldsen, 28, a music business professional who survived the disaster. It’s been happening for over a decade.” It’s not even a Korean thing.” “They think it’s a foreign culture. “It’s the government negligence especially from local authorities.