South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared national mourning after 153 people were crushed to death at the Halloween festival in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Among the dead are 19 foreign nationals. More than three hundred people are still missing. In South Korea, three years after the corona restrictions were eased, this spectacular Halloween festival was held in the Itaewon area of the capital, Seoul. More than 100,000 people gathered in the area on Saturday night to participate in the festival.
South Korean Halloween Tragedy death Causes
The Halloween festival is held at the end of October every year to ‘remember the dead’. However, this Halloween festival was closed in the country after the start of the Corona epidemic in 2020. After this, this festival was held for the first time, where there was no obligation to wear a mask.
Many people were trampled when a large number of people appeared in a narrow alley during Halloween celebrations. In no time the entire festival turned into grief and panic. Eyewitnesses said that there was a chaotic situation before the accident. Then the police could not handle the people. After the accident, a wartime situation was created there. Accordingly, there was an overall management error. The administration could not control the situation. There were not enough police to control the people.Eyewitnesses say that more than one lakh people participated in the festival. The narrow lanes and streets were crowded with people. People piled on top of each other as they tried to push through the suffocating crowd.
why South Korean Halloween Tragedy
According to local media, many people were busy shopping at a market in Seoul’s Itaewon district on Saturday. Many also gathered in nearby pubs and bars. About a million people thronged the street in front of the Hamilton Hotel. Therein lies the problem.The road where hundreds of people have died is quite narrow. The narrow alley of old Dhaka can be compared with that alley which is only four meters wide. The tragedy happened due to the pressure of people coming out of the Hamilton Hotel on that road and people coming from all the stations.
As the pressure of the crowd increases gradually, people panic. That is the problem. Many have heart attacks on the road. In a video shared on social media, the narrow one-lane road is buzzing with people. There was no place for sesame seeds in that lane.
There was a pile of dead bodies on the roadside. Also, some in the crowd were administering first aid to the sick, some were trying to administer artificial respiration to a person lying on the street, all caught on camera.
A video showed some trying to climb a roadside wall to escape the crowd. The look of panic was evident on everyone’s faces on the way.n eyewitness said, I was sitting in a bar. My friend called and said that something terrible is happening outside. I went out and saw people lying unconscious on the street. Attempts are being made to keep them breathing artificially.
Another said, there was no place for everyone to stand on the road. People were on top of each other. Their position looked like a tomb. Some were losing definition. Someone seemed to be dead.
The death toll was initially reported at 59. Later it increases with time. The death toll has already exceeded one and a half hundred. 19 foreign nationals are also among the dead. They are citizens of Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway.
So far, 153 people have been confirmed dead, including 19 foreigners. During the Halloween rush, many people fall to the ground, resulting in many casualties. Most of the victims were women. Those under 20 years of age.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called an emergency meeting after the incident. He ordered to inspect the accident site and investigate the incident. State mourning has also been declared on Sunday. Which will continue till November 5. World leaders mourn the Halloween tragedy.
US President Joe Biden, a close ally of South Korea, said that America stands by Seoul at this sad time. We share our condolences with the Korean people and send our best wishes for the speedy recovery of those who were injured, he said.