Seoul Halloween stampede – latest: Survivors recall ‘slow, agonising crush’ as 154 dead

An Australian who survived the tragic crush in Seoul paid tribute to his friend who died in the stampede on Saturday night.

In a now deleted TikTok video, Nathan Taverniti spoke of what he called a “slow, agonising crush” that became the country’s worst disaster in years.

Grace Rached, 23, had been holidaying in the South Korean capital and would have turned 24 next week.

“It was a slow, agonising crush. This crush was not caused by drunk people. It was lack of planning, police force and emergency services,” Mr Taverniti said.

.And nobody was willing to help. I watched as people filmed and sang and laughed while my friends were dying, along with many other people.

“I was there trying to pull people out because there was not enough police officers and nobody was doing anything to make the crowd stop.”

A South Korean actor was among the 154 people to die in the Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon. Acting agencies confirmed that Lee Ji-han had been killed in the disaster.

Key Points

• Death toll rises to 154, more than 130 injured

• World leaders offer condolences to victims of Seoul crowd crush

• Woman who tried to save 10 people’s lives with CPR said it was ‘like hell’

• South Korean president calls for investigation into crowd crush as nation mourns

• Lee Ji-han: 24-year-old South Korean actor died in Seoul crowd crush, agency confirms

• Australian man recalls ‘slow, agonising crush’ which killed his friend

Australian man recalls ‘slow, agonising crush’ which killed his friend

13:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An Australian who survived the tragic crush in Seoul paid tribute to his friend who died on Saturday night.

In a now deleted TikTok video, Nathan Taverniti, spoke of what he called a “slow, agonising crush” that became the country’s worst disaster in years.

Grace Rached, 23, had been holidaying in the South Korean capital and would have turned 24 next week.

“I was there when she said she couldn’t breathe and I grabbed one of my friends’ hands,” Taverniti said, wiping away tears.

He went on to reject media reports which framed the crowd surge as a “stampede” which saw around 100,000 people gather in Itaewon for the country’s biggest Halloween celebration since the pandemic began.

“It was a slow, agonising crush. This crush was not caused by drunk people. It was lack of planning, police force and emergency services,” Taverniti said.

“And nobody was willing to help. I watched as people filmed and sang and laughed while my friends were dying, along with many other people.

“I was there trying to pull people out because there was not enough police officers and nobody was doing anything to make the crowd stop.”

He added: “We were yelling, we were saying ‘you have to go back, you have to turn around, people are dying’, but nobody was listening.”

Deaths from stampede are ‘manmade disaster'

13:01 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As South Korea mourns, officials face tough questions as experts say the death should be seen as a “manmade disaster”.

The national government has insisted there was no way to predict the crowd would get out of control.

Experts disagree. Deploying so few police officers, they said, showed officials were poorly prepared despite knowing ahead of time that there would be a huge gathering following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in recent months.

On top of assigning more personnel, police and officials in the Yongsan district, which governs Itaewon, should have pedestrianized some streets and taken other measures to ease the crowding in narrow lanes like the one where the deaths occurred, experts said.

Instead, the 137 officers in Itaewon were assigned to monitor crime, with a particular focus on narcotics use, meaning that for all practical purposes “no one was looking after pedestrian safety,” said Kong Ha-song, a disaster prevention professor at South Korea‘s Woosuk University.

The deaths should be seen as a “manmade disaster,” said Lee Changmoo, an urban planning professor at Seoul’s Hanyang University.

Authorities have come under similar criticism in national media and on social networks. The headline of an editorial in the Hankyoreh newspaper on Sunday described the tragedy as “all too avoidable.” The paper said its reporting showed that a pedestrian got knocked down by a crowd in Itaewon a day before Halloween festivities — although no one was hurt.

In pictures: People grieve and pay respects in Seoul

12:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

More photos have been released of people grieving and paying their respects following the Halloween stampede in Seoul on Saturday night.

Seoul crowd crush survivor says ‘people filmed while my friends were dying’

12:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An Australian survivor of the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul has told of how people filmed, sang and laughed while his friends were dying.

At least 154 people are believed to have died in the Itaewon stampede on Saturday, while 132 others are reported to have been injured, including 37 in serious condition, amid fears this number will rise in the coming days.

Those killed or hurt were mostly teenagers and people in their twenties, according to Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul‘s Yongsan fire department.

Emily Atkinson has more:

Seoul crowd crush survivor says ‘people filmed while my friends were dying’

South Korea’s deadly Halloween crush was avoidable, experts say- Part two

11:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Just two weeks before the tragic stampede, the Itaewon Global Village Festival organised by a tourism association and sponsored by the city of Seoul and Yongsan district, had people wearing yellow vests directing the flow of movement and the main road was closed to car traffic.

But on Saturday, there were just thousands of shops open for business, normal car traffic rules and tens of thousands of young people eager to celebrate Halloween without major Covid restrictions for the first time since the pandemic.

“Just because it’s not named a ‘festival’ doesn’t mean there should be any difference in terms of disaster management,” said Paek Seung-joo, a professor of fire & disaster protection at Open Cyber University of Korea.

“As there was no central authority, each government arm just did what they usually do - the fire department prepared for fires and the police prepared for crime. There needs to be a system where a local government takes the reins and cooperates with other authorities to prepare for the worst,” he said.

Moon Hyeon-cheol, a professor at the Graduate School of Disaster Safety Management at Soongsil University, said this type of crush had the potential to happen in any populous city.

“We need to take this tragedy and learn to prepare for the risk of disaster,” he said.

South Korea’s deadly Halloween crush was avoidable, experts say- Part one

11:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Proper crowd and traffic control by South Korean authorities could have prevented or at least reduced the surge of Halloween party-goers in alleys that led to a crush and the deaths of 154 people, safety experts said on Monday.

The annual festivities in the popular nightlife area of Itaewon in Seoul also did not have a central organising entity, which meant government authorities were not required to establish or enforce safety protocols.

District authorities for Yongsan, where Itaewon is located, discussed measures to prevent illegal drug use and the spread of COVID-19 during the Halloween weekend, according to a district press release. There was, however, no mention of crowd control.

On Saturday when the tragedy occurred, roughly 100,000 people were estimated to be in Itaewon, an area known for its hills and narrow alleys. According to Seoul Metro, some 81,573 people disembarked at Itaewon subway station on the day, up from around 23,800 a week earlier and about 35,950 on Friday.

But there were only 137 police officers in Itaewon at the time, the city of Seoul said.

In contrast, at rallies by labour unions and by supporters of President Yoon Suk-yeol that drew tens of thousands in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on the same Saturday, up to 4,000 police were deployed, a police official said.

“Police are now working on a thorough analysis of the incident’s cause,” Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min said on Monday.

“It’s not appropriate to make hasty conclusions before the exact cause is determined - whether it was caused by a lack of police or whether there is something that we should fundamentally change for rallies and gatherings.”

South Korean families desperate for answers after loved ones crushed in Seoul tragedy

11:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The loved ones of victims killed in a stampede in South Korea are searching for answers as the death toll tops 150.

Partygoers, mostly teenagers and young adults, flooded the streets of the neighbourhood of Itaewon in Seoul to enjoy the country’s first Halloween celebrations since the lifting of Covid restrictions.

But the night took a tragic turn as the crowd surged into “a hell-like” chaos and revellers fell on each other “like dominoes”.

My colleague Aisha Rimi has more:

Families desperate for answers as loved ones crushed in South Korea Halloween tragedy

A look at some of the world's major crowd disasters

10:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In case you missed it...

It has been confirmed that 154 people were killed and hundreds more were injured as they were crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the capital of Seoul, South Korea.

Here a look at some of the major crowd disasters around the world in recent decades:

A look at some of the world's major crowd disasters

Families of foreign nationals killed in stampede share tributes

10:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Of the 154 killed in the stampede, 26 people were foreign nationals.

One of the Americans killed was Anne Gieske, a University of Kentucky nursing student from northern Kentucky who was doing a study-abroad program in South Korea, the university said in a statement. The other was Steven Blesi, 20, his father, Steve Blesi, wrote on Twitter after earlier seeking information about his son.

Blesi appealed for information after not hearing from his son, asking, “If anyone has any news please share.” After a flood of responses offering help and support, he tweeted, “We just got confirmation our son died,” followed by “Thank you for the outpouring of love. We need time to grieve.”

Australian victim Grace Rached, a Sydney film production assistant, was described by her family as “our life of the party.” Her family said in a statement that “We are missing our gorgeous angel Grace, who lit up the room with her infectious smile.”

The Japanese dead included Mei Tomikawa, who was studying Korean language in Seoul, according to Japanese media. Her father, Ayumu Tomikawa, told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that his daughter “really liked South Korea and was enjoying her life there.”

King and Queen Consort express ‘deep shock and sadness’ over Seoul stampede

10:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In a message of condolence to the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, the King said the UK “stands in solidarity” with the people of South Korea following the Halloween party crush in Seoul.

His message, signed Charles R., read: “I wanted you to know how deeply shocked and saddened both my wife and I are to hear of the many people who have lost their loved ones as a consequence of the recent, tragic incident in Itaewon, Seoul.

“However inadequate this may be under such heartbreaking circumstances, we extend our deepest possible sympathy to all the bereaved families. We also offer our special thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who suffered injury.

“Recalling our meeting during your own gracious visit to London to attend the funeral of Her late Majesty The Queen, please be assured that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of the Republic of Korea at such a time of national mourning.”

Lee Ji-han: 24-year-old South Korean actor died in Seoul crowd crush, agency confirms

09:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

South Korean actor Lee Ji-han was among the 154 people to die in the crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul, on Saturday (29 October).

At least 132 other people are reported to be injured, including 37 in serious condition, with fears that the death toll could still rise.

An estimated 100,000 people had gathered in the city’s nightlife district for Halloween celebrations when the fatal crush occurred.

On Sunday (30 October), acting agencies 935 Entertainment and 9ato Entertainment confirmed that Lee had been killed in the disaster.

Louis Chilton has more:

24-year-old actor Lee Ji-han dies in Seoul crowd crush

In pictures: Tributes left for those killed in the stampede

09:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Hundreds of flowers and messages were left by those who have paid tribute to the victims of the Halloween stampede in Itaewon.

Personal messages and meaningful food dishes were left at the tribute site near the scene of the tragic incident.

How did the Seoul stampede happen?

08:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Itaewon area, famous for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, is the country’s hottest spot for Halloween-themed events and parties, which had increasing popularity among young South Koreans in recent years.

An estimated 100,000 people were gathered there in the country’s largest Halloween celebrations since the pandemic began.

But some business owners in Itaewon say an even larger number of people gathered there in pre-pandemic Halloween weekend festivities.

Police said in a statement they fielded 137 officers to maintain order during Halloween festivities last Saturday — much more than the 34-90 officers mobilized in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Citing the figures, police dismissed as “different from the truth” speculations that a police station in the area suffered understaffing because it’s been providing extra security to Yoon, who relocated the country’s presidential office to a site near Itaewon.

The police statement said police-provided security for a president has long been handled by two special police units and that the units have nothing to do with the Yongsan police station, whose jurisdiction includes Itaewon.

Some observers say the scope of the police investigation would include an apparent lack of safety steps, as well as looking into witness accounts of the stampede being caused by some people intentionally pushing others and making them fall.

Business owners join mourning period in Seoul

08:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Many business owners in the Itaewon neighbourhood in Seoul, including those operating restaurants, shoe stores and cafe operators, are mourning the victims of the crush by putting up messages of condolences for them, Yonhap news agency reported.

“We, merchants in Itaewon, have been enormously shocked and feel responsibility for the tragedy,” a bakery owner, surnamed Oh was quoted as saying.

The bakers in the district also decided to join the mourning and said their businesses will stay closed till the end of the mourning period.

Video showing Itaewon street crowd warns, ‘Be careful'

08:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A video on social media that was posted on Saturday night as Halloween party goers gathered in a narrow street in Itaeweon is captioned, “Be careful.”

The video shows the street in Seoul packed with people with a huge crowd spilling out onto the road behind, growing as more and more people joined.

South Korean president calls for safety measures over unorganised large gatherings

08:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol called for safety measures over unorganised large gatherings during a meeting on Monday, his spokesman said, following the stampede.

The president also made Itaewon a disaster zone, and visited a memorial altar near the Seoul city hall to pay his respects to the victims.

Eyewitnesses recall the street as ‘jammed subway’

07:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Eyewitnesses recalled the street where the crush took place that killed more than 150 people as a “jammed subway”.

CNN quoted Sung Sehyun, one eyewitness, as saying that the street space was like a “jammed subway” on Saturday evening with partygoers packed everywhere.

Witnesses also said that there was very little crowd control before the crush.

“There were rows and rows of people with tarps covering them in the street,” Emily Farmer, a 27-year-old English teacher in Seoul who was passing through Itaewon, told CNN.

Two American college students among the 154 people killed in Seoul crowd disaster

07:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Two American college students were among the 154 people killed in a crowd disaster during Halloween celebrations in the South Korean capital of Seoul on Saturday night.

Read the full story here:

Two American college students among the 154 people killed in Seoul crowd disaster

Victim identification nearly compete as funeral preparations to begin

07:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The identification of the victims is nearly complete and funeral preparations can move ahead, the South Korean prime minister has said.

“We will do our best to provide necessary support by reflecting the opinions of the bereaved families as much as possible,” he added.

Jung Si-hoon, a retiree, placed an old wooden cross at the altar, saying nothing could be done to bring back all the young people who had died.

“Those poor people, all at similar ages to my grandchildren... What more should we say? We should pray for them and wish they rest in peace,” he said.

On Monday afternoon, dozens of crime scene investigators and forensics officers descended onto the trash-strewn alleys which were eerily quiet with many shops and cafes closed.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has designated Itaewon a disaster zone, visited a memorial altar near the Seoul city hall and paid his respects to victims on Monday.

Schools, kindergartens and companies around the country scrapped planned Halloween events. K-pop concerts and government briefings were also cancelled.

South Korean investigators comb through footage to look for answers

07:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

South Korean investigators combed footage today from more than 50 state and private closed-circuit TV cameras as well as from social media looking for answers to how a surge in Halloween party-goers trapped in narrow alleys killed so many.

As the country began a week of mourning, the death toll climbed to 154. Another 149 people were injured, 33 of them in serious condition. Citizens from at least two dozen countries were among the dead.

Prime minister Han Duck-soo has promised a thorough investigation and authorities said they were focused on reconstructing the chain of events leading up to the surge and were looking at whether anyone may have been responsible for triggering the crush.

“We are analysing CCTVs to find out the exact cause of the accident,” Police chief investigator Nam Gu-jun told reporters.

“We will continue questioning more witnesses, including nearby shop employees,” he said.

South Korea calls for safety measures over unorganised large gatherings

07:11 , Maroosha Muzaffar

South Korea on Monday called for safety measures over unorganised large gatherings, Yonhap news agency reported.

Father of US victim describes learning about son's death: 'Stabbed like a hundred million times'

07:07 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Steve Blesi from suburban Atlanta in the US, who lost his son in the Seoul stampede recalled an excruciatingly painful call when he learned of his son’s death.“It was like it stabbed like a hundred million times simultaneously,” Mr Blesi told The New York Times.

“It was like your world just collapsing. It was numb and devastating all at the same time.”

His 20-year-old son was a student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia who was about two months into a study abroad program in Seoul.

He was one of the Americans who were among the more than 150 people who died in the Halloween celebration in the Itaewon nightlife district in Seoul.

South Koreans pay tribute to the victims of the Halloween crush

06:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

On Monday, South Koreans paid their tributes to the victims by laying white chrysanthemums at an altar near the scene of the Halloween disaster.

“It doesn’t matter how they died, or why they died. Those poor people, all at similar ages to my grandchildren, they died anyway,” said Jung Si-hoon, a retiree and a church elder.

The Guardian quoted him as saying “What more should we say? We should pray for them and wish they rest in peace.”

Local media also said that the country also cancelled any other Halloween events and K-pop events and government briefings were also cancelled. All shops near the site of the stampede were closed.

South Korea vows probe into deadly Halloween crush

05:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo today promised a thorough investigation into the Halloween crush over the weekend that killed more than 150 people in the capital and plunged the country into a week of mourning.

South Korean families desperate for answers after loved ones crushed in Seoul tragedy

05:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The loved ones of victims killed in a stampede in South Korea are searching for answers as the death toll tops 150.

Partygoers, mostly teenagers and young adults, flooded the streets of the neighbourhood of Itaewon in Seoul to enjoy the country’s first Halloween celebrations since the lifting of Covid restrictions.

But the night took a tragic turn as the crowd surged into “a hell-like” chaos and revellers fell on each other “like dominoes”.

Read the full story here:

Families desperate for answers as loved ones crushed in South Korea Halloween tragedy

Everything we know about deadly Seoul stampede that has killed 153 people

04:50 , Maroosha Muzaffar

One survivor said many people fell and toppled one another ‘like dominos’ after they were pushed by others.

Read the full story here:

Everything we know about deadly Seoul stampede that has killed 153 people

ICYMI: At least 153 dead after crowd crush during Halloween festivities in Seoul

04:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

At least 153 people have been killed and 133 others injured after crowds celebrating Halloween were crushed in an alleyway in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Read the full story here:

At least 153 dead after Halloween crowd crush in South Korea

Survivors describe moments of unmanageable chaos inside the crush

03:41 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Survivors of the Halloween stampede in Seoul describe the chaos they witnessed during the stampede.

“We were just stuck together so tightly we couldn’t even shift to call out and report the situation,” one witness, surnamed Lee told Associated Press.

“We were strangers, but we held each others’ hands and repeatedly shouted out, ‘Let’s survive!’”Kim Mi Sung, a witness who works for a non-profit organisation in Itaewon said that nine out of the 10 people she gave CPR to eventually died. Many were bleeding from their noses and mouths.

Most were women dressed as witches or were in other Halloween costumes; two were foreigners.“It was like a hell,” Kim said. “I still can’t believe what happened.”

Australian woman, one of 154 who died in Seoul, identified

00:15 , Lamiat Sabin

Grace Rached, a 23-year-old from Sydney, has been identified as an Australian who was one of the 154 people who died in the Seoul crowd crush tragedy.

The production assistant was to turn 24 next week.

Earlier, her friend Nathan Taverniti said: “I was there when she said she couldn’t breathe.”

Mr Taverniti said the deaths were not caused by a stampede but “a slow, agonising crush”.

He added: “This crush was not caused by drunk people. It was lack of planning, police force and emergency services.

“And nobody was willing to help. I watched as people filmed and sang and laughed while my friends were dying, along with many other people.

“I was there trying to pull people out because there was not enough police officers and nobody was doing anything to make the crowd stop.

“We were yelling, we were saying 'you have to go back, you have to turn around, people are dying’, but nobody was listening.”

Two more of his friends were in critical condition in hospital, he told Yonhap News Agency in comments reported by Australian media outlet Nine News.

Death toll rises to 154

Sunday 30 October 2022 23:46 , Lamiat Sabin

At least 154 people have died in the Seoul crowd crush, according to the latest figures.

Of this number, 26 were foreign nationals from countries including Australia, China, Iran, Norway, Russia, US, and Uzbekistan.

A total of 132 were injured, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Seoul fire and disaster headquarters.

Saudi Arabia offers ‘sincere condolences and sympathy’

Sunday 30 October 2022 23:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Saudi Arabia’s ministry of foreign affairs has offered its “sincere condolences and sympathy” to South Korea following the tragic crowd crush that killed 153 people.

Woman who tried to save 10 people’s lives said it was ‘like hell’

Sunday 30 October 2022 22:30 , Lamiat Sabin

A woman who performed CPR on a number of people who fell unconscious in the Seoul crowd crush said the horrific and tragic incident was “like hell”.

A total of 153 people, mostly young adults, died when the huge crowd left a venue into a narrow alleyway in the Itaewon district of the South Korean capital on Saturday night.Kim Mi Sung, an official at a nonprofit organization that promotes tourism in Itaewon, said she performed CPR on 10 people who were unconscious, mostly women wearing witch outfits and other Halloween costumes.

Nine of them were declared dead on the spot.  “I still can’t believe what has happened. It was like a hell,” she said.

Witnesses said people fell on each other “like dominoes,” and some victims were bleeding from their noses and mouths while being given CPR.

Two American students among the 153 people killed

Sunday 30 October 2022 22:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Two American students, both 20, were among the 153 people who were killed in the Seoul crowd crush.

They have been identified as Steven Blesi, who was studying in Seoul for a semester, and Anne Gieske, a nursing student in her third year at the University of Kentucky.

Mr Blesi’s father received a call from the US Embassy in South Korea confirming his son had died during the Halloween celebrations in the Itaewon district of the city, the New York Post reports.

“It was like it stabbed like a hundred million times simultaneously,” he said.

“It was like your world just collapsing. It was numb and devastating all at the same time.”

The family of Ms Gieske – who celebrated her birthday the day before she died – have been contacted, the University of Kentucky said.

Australian woman, 23, died in ‘slow agonising crush,’ says friend

Sunday 30 October 2022 21:30 , Lamiat Sabin

An Australian man has paid tribute to his friend that died in the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul.

Nathan Taverniti said his friend was one of more than 150 people, aged mostly in their 20s and 30s, who lost their lives when a huge party crowd left a venue into a narrow alleyway on Saturday night.

Australia’s foreign department confirmed that at least one Australian died in the tragic incident.

Mr Taverniti said his friend was a woman who would have turned 24 next week.

He said: “I was there when she said she couldn’t breathe and I grabbed one of my friends’ hands.”

Mr Taverniti said the deaths were not caused by a stampede but “a slow, agonising crush”.

He added: “This crush was not caused by drunk people. It was lack of planning, police force and emergency services.

“And nobody was willing to help. I watched as people filmed and sang and laughed while my friends were dying, along with many other people.

“I was there trying to pull people out because there was not enough police officers and nobody was doing anything to make the crowd stop.

“We were yelling, we were saying ‘you have to go back, you have to turn around, people are dying’, but nobody was listening.”

Two more of his friends were in critical condition in hospital, he told Yonhap News Agency in comments reported by Australian media outlet Nine News.

Flags to fly at half-mast during period of national mourning

Sunday 30 October 2022 20:59 , Andy Gregory

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered that flags at government buildings and public offices should fly at half-mast during the national mourning period, which is set to last until 5 November.

Around 100 businesses in the Hamilton Hotel area have agreed to shut down their shops on Monday to reduce the number of potential partygoers who could otherwise come to the streets on the day of Halloween.

Events cancelled in Seoul in wake of tragedy

Sunday 30 October 2022 20:16 , Andy Gregory

Halloween parties and other events due to take place this weekend have been cancelled out of respect for those who died in the disaster in Itaewon and to counter the possibility of any further tragedies occurring, the Korea Times reports.

Many entertainment programs on television have also been cancelled as a mark of respect or have been replaced by breaking news updates about the accident, the paper reported.

Seoul mayor vows to ensure there are no difficulties with funerals for deceased

Sunday 30 October 2022 19:48 , Andy Gregory

Seoul’s mayor has vowed to make sure that there are no inconveniences with the funeral procedures for those killed in the disaster.

“I pray for the souls of the deceased who have passed away. I have no words to say to the deceased and the injured,” Oh Se-hoon told reporters at Incheon International Airport, according to the Yonhap news agency.

“Handling the aftermath is very important. I will make sure there will be no inconveniences with the funeral procedures and do my best so that those who’ve been injured won’t experience any difficulties in the treatment and recovery,” he said.

Grieving father describes loss as ‘like a bolt from the blue sky'

Sunday 30 October 2022 19:21 , Andy Gregory

One father who came to collect his daughter’s body at a funeral home in Seoul, after receiving a call at 1am from authorities, described the news as coming “like a bolt from the blue sky”.

Not all victims yet identified, officials say

Sunday 30 October 2022 18:53 , Andy Gregory

Earlier today, South Korean officials said that they were still in the process of identifying the victims but almost 90 per cent of those killed have now been identified.

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min noted that it takes more time to identify foreign nationals or teenagers who have yet to be registered with the government, in which cases they have to directly check with the families.

Local restaurant owner ‘only realised nature of disaster after watching news at home'

Sunday 30 October 2022 18:27 , AP

Park Ji-won, who runs a Middle Eastern restaurant across the street from Hamilton Hotel, said he saw emergency workers bring out people in stretchers among the huge throngs of crowds as he closed his restaurant around 11 pm – but had no idea what just taken place nearby.

“I just presumed a fight broke out — in my 10-plus years of doing business here, I only saw ambulances when people got assaulted or when there were fires,” Mr Park said.

He said he was “extremely shocked” when he got home and watched the news, which was when the death toll was at a dozen. “But then the death toll kept growing until it became 151,” he said.

Mr Park said Itaewon always had large Halloween crowds, even during raging Covid-19 infections last year. He said shop owners like him usually avoid the narrow alley beside Hamilton Hotel during holiday festivities, because “once you go there, you cannot move or get out.”

Grieving father says city’s preparations were inadequate

Sunday 30 October 2022 18:02 , Andy Gregory

The father of a woman in her 20s who died in the disaster said the city’s preparations for the gatherings were inadequate.

“It was expected that there would be a crowd of 100,000 or more in the Itaewon area this weekend,” he told Reuters as he stood in a Seoul funeral home to collect his daughter’s body.

“I think there was no preparation for this, which led to this disaster.”

Brutality of mass death contrasts strikingly with Itaewon’s typical atmosphere

Sunday 30 October 2022 17:36 , Andy Gregory

One first responder noted the striking contrast between Itaewon’s lively and fun character and the brutality of the mass death.

“People were wearing Halloween costumes so the scene was so unrealistic,” an official at an Itaewon tourism organisation who rushed to the scene to try to help told the Associated Press.

Ken Fallas, a Costa Rican architect who has worked in Seoul for the past eight years, noted that some who bore witness to the tragedy appeared understandably unable to process what they were seeing.

“I saw a lot of [young] people laughing, but I don’t think they were [really] laughing because, you know, what’s funny?” Mr Fallas said. “They were laughing because they were too scared. Because to be in front of a thing like that is not easy. Not everyone knows how to process that.”

‘We will be there for you’: US Forces Korea offers condolences

Sunday 30 October 2022 17:09 , AP

Itaewon’s international character was shaped by its proximity to a US military garrison nearby, and the area is still home to restaurants, bars and other businesses catering to the American community in Seoul.

The Yongsan Garrison, which served as the headquarters for the US Forces Korea and the United Nations Command until 2017, is less than a mile away from Itaewon. The US forces have since relocated their South Korean headquarters to Pyeongtaek, a city 45 miles south of Seoul, leaving only a small contingent in Yongsan while beginning to hand over the land to the South Korean government.

Even after losing most of its American military customers, Itaewon has remained a major attraction for both South Koreans and foreign visitors, who are drawn to the district’s buzzing and boozy nightlife as well as its international flair.

“The Itaewon community has opened its arms to us for many years and is part of the reason our Alliance is so strong,” said US Forces Korea, which commands the nearly 30,000 American military personnel in the country. “During this time of grief, we will be there for you just as you have been there for us.”

South Korean families desperate for answers after loved ones crushed in Seoul tragedy

Sunday 30 October 2022 16:44 , Andy Gregory

The loved ones of victims killed in a stampede in South Korea are searching for answers in the wake of the disaster.

Philomene Aby headed to a South Korean community centre to search for any news of her 22-year-old son, who went missing in the wake of the crush. Her son, Masela, went to work at a club in the Itaewon area around 6 pm on Saturday. That was the last time Ms Aby, a Seoul resident from the Ivory Coast, saw him.

“I called his number but ... he wasn’t answering,” Ms Aby said while standing in the Hannam-dong Community Service Center, which became a makeshift missing persons facility in the wake of the disaster.

“No one is telling me the truth,” said Ms Aby, who has lived in Seoul with her son for 18 years. With no sign of news about the son, Ms Aby left the centre for the Ivory Coast embassy.

My colleague Aisha Rimi has the full report:

Families desperate for answers as loved ones crushed in South Korea Halloween tragedy

Seoul mayor says entire capital could become ‘special disaster zone'

Sunday 30 October 2022 16:21 , Andy Gregory

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has said he will discuss designating the entire capital a special disaster zone, making it eligible for various support schemes.

“We will have to discuss further, but we should be able to produce ways to support even non-Seoul residents when the entire capital is designated as a special disaster zone,” Oh said.

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol designated Seoul’s Yongsan district a special disaster zone earlier today.

Revellers initially questioned whether bomb had gone off

Sunday 30 October 2022 15:52 , Andy Gregory

Sonali Madane, a 29-year-old student from India studying at Ewha Womans University, has said that rumours of chaos spread to revellers in nearby streets, causing panic.

“My friends and I went there at 9:45 pm. Within half an hour, this incident happened,” Ms Madane told the Korea Times. “We were in the Runway Club and when we came out of there … we got to know that the chaos is happening.

“People were spreading rumors, 'Is there an explosion? Is it a bomb?' Because of that, everybody was freaking out … Others were saying there is some celebrity coming [which caused a stampede].”

Loud music may have been a factor in disaster, those involved say

Sunday 30 October 2022 15:28 , Andy Gregory

Ken Fallas, a Costa Rican architect who was out in Itaewon with friends, suggests that the loudness of the surrounding music was a factor in the deadly crush.

“When we just started to move forward, there was no way to go back,” Mr Fallas, who filmed on his phone as unconscious people were carried from the alley and others shouted for help.

“We didn’t hear anything because the music was really loud. Now, I think that was one of the main things that made this so complicated,” he told the Associated Press.

Another person caught up in the stampede, a 17-year-old school pupil called Kim Seo-jeong, told the New York Times that the alley was so crowded and noisy that people didn’t seem to know what was happening several feet away.

“A person in front of me slipped and fell, pushing me down as well. People behind me fell like dominoes,” Ms Kim told the paper. “There were people beneath me and people falling on top of me. I could hardly breathe. We shouted and screamed for help, but the music was so loud in the alley our shouts were drowned.”

Fire chief shakes as he discusses victims in wake of tragedy

Sunday 30 October 2022 15:01 , Andy Gregory

Choi Seong-beom, the chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, appeared to be visibly shaking with emotion as he relayed the facts of the tragedy to reporters last night.

Relatives rush to hospitals in search for loved ones

Sunday 30 October 2022 14:34 , Andy Gregory

Concerned relatives raced to hospitals and city offices in search of their loved ones today, with thousands of people said by authorities to have called or visited a city office to report individuals missing and establish whether they were among those injured or dead after the crush.

The bodies of the dead were being kept at 42 hospitals in the capital and nearby Gyeonggi province, according to Seoul City, which said it will tell crematoriums to burn more bodies per day to support funeral proceedings.

Two Japanese nationals confirmed dead

Sunday 30 October 2022 14:12 , Andy Gregory

Two Japanese nationals, a woman in her twenties and another between the age of 10 and 19, are confirmed to have died in the crash.

"I am greatly shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of many precious lives, including young people with a bright future, as a result of the very tragic accident," Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said in a statement.

South Korea’s foreign ministry put the total number of foreign nationals killed in the crush at 26, from 15 different countries.

Among the dead were people from China, Iran, Russia, the United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Norway, with several people still unidentified, a ministry official told Reuters..

Prince and Princess of Wales send “love and prayers” to grieving families

Sunday 30 October 2022 13:29 , Sam Rkaina

The Prince and Princess of Wales have sent their “love and prayers” to those grieving loved ones after 151 people were killed in a crowd surge during Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea.

The victims, mostly aged in their teens and 20s, were crushed when a huge Halloween party crowd surged into a narrow alley in the Itaewon nightlife district on Saturday night.

A message on the Kensington Palace Twitter account said: “Catherine and I send all our love and prayers to the parents, families and loved ones of those tragically lost in Seoul yesterday evening. W & C.”

William’s message came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the deaths as “horrific news”, adding in a statement on Saturday: “All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said he was “saddened by the tragic situation”, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was “horrendous news”.

Everything we know about deadly Seoul stampede that has killed 153 people

Sunday 30 October 2022 13:00 , Stuti Mishra

More than 100,000 people had descended on Seoul for its first grand Halloween celebration in three years since the beginning of the pandemic, on a Saturday night that turned into disaster and one of the deadliest stampede incidents the country has seen.

The incident happened in the capital’s Itaewon district during Halloween festivities when a huge crowd surged into a narrow downhill alley.

The death toll now stands at 153 including 22 foreign nationals. At least 82 other people were injured.

Here’s everything we know about the deadly Seoul stampede:

Everything we know about deadly Seoul stampede that has killed 153 people

One Norwegian among dead as foreign minister extends condolences

Sunday 30 October 2022 12:00 , Stuti Mishra

One Norwegian citizen is confirmed to have died in the Seoul crush, a spokesperson for Norway’s foreign ministry has said, declining to provide any details of age or identity, citing confidentiality.

“I am devastated by news of the terrible incident in connection with Halloween celebrations in Seoul,” Norwegian foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt said in a statement.

“My deepest condolences to families and friends who lost their loved ones. My thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy.”

Australia confirms one citizen died in Seoul stampede

Sunday 30 October 2022 11:30 , Stuti Mishra

An Australian citizen is also among those killed in the deadly Halloween night stampede in Seoul’s popular nightclub district, a release from Canberra has said.

A statement released by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said they were providing consular assistance to victim’s family in Australia, CNN reports.

The Australian Embassy in Seoul is “assisting a number of other Australians who were present at the event,” according to DFAT spokesperson quoted by the organisation.

“The Australian Government sends its condolences to the family and others affected by this tragic incident. We ask for the family’s privacy to be respected during this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment,” the statement read.

A total of 22 foreign citizens have so far been confirmed to have died in the stampede, including four Chinese nationals.

Officials earlier said they were still in the process of identifying more foreigners with almost 90 per cent of identification now complete.

Video: Footage inside Seoul crowd reveals partygoers’ panic before crush that killed 153 people

Sunday 30 October 2022 11:00 , Stuti Mishra

Footage taken from within a crowd in Seoul shows the panic among Halloween partygoers before a crush that killed more than 150 people.

Shouting and screams can be heard as partygoers tried to push their way through the narrow alleyway in the Itaewon area, while music from the nearby nightclubs continued to blare in the background.

Aisha Rimi has the latest:

Footage inside Seoul crowd reveals partygoers’ panic before crush killed 153 people