Seoul: Dozens of people suffered a cardiac arrest after being crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the capital Seoul, media reports quote South Korea officials as saying.
About 50 people have been receiving CPR after suffering from cardiac arrest in Seoul’s Itaewon area in an apparent connection with a Halloween party, fire authorities said, reports news agency Yonhap.
🚨#UPDATE: Footage from the stampede in #Seoul, #SouthKorea pic.twitter.com/xVSlg7aaw2
— Breaking News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) October 29, 2022
Emergency officials received at least 81 calls from people in Itaewon saying they were having difficulty breathing, they said.
Over 400 emergency workers from across the country have been deployed to the capital to help treat those who were injured.
#BREAKING: Stampede in #Seoul, #SouthKorea left dozens with cardiac arrest during #Halloween Saturday night. Over a hundred thousand attended the celebrations.#SeoulStampede pic.twitter.com/y8AW5LCFgB
— Media Warrior (@MediaWarriorY) October 29, 2022
President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered officials to swiftly administer first aid and treat the people, the presidential office said.
He also instructed the Health Ministry to swiftly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds in nearby hospital to treat the injured. Local media said around 100,000 people flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities, which were the biggest in years following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in recent months.
Separately, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed officials to make utmost efforts to minimize damages, reports Yonhap.
Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is on a visit to Europe, decided to return home in the wake of the accident, city officials said.