Agencies
Seoul
At least 120 people were killed and 100 hurt in a chaotic stampede in South Korea’s capital Seoul after thousands gathered on a narrow street to celebrate Halloween.
Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said the death toll could rise as emergency workers continued to transport the injured to hospitals across Seoul following the crowd crush in the entertainment district of Itaewon on Saturday night.
Choi said 74 of the dead were sent to hospitals while the bodies of the remaining 46 were still on the streets after the incident occurred at 10:20pm.
Officials said it is believed many people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.
More than 400 emergency workers and 140 rescue vehicles were deployed to treat the injured, Choi Cheon-sik from the National Fire Agency said.
Police confirmed dozens of people were given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the streets, while others were taken to nearby hospitals. (Agencies) page 7
