According to initial reports, at least 59 people died and 150 others were injured during Halloween celebrations in Seoul. This was reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap at night, referring to statements by the fire department. Authorities are now even reporting more than 120 dead and more than 100 others injured.

In the first reports, the fire brigade reported that dozens of people had suffered cardiac arrest in the crowded narrow streets of the Itaewon district. The reason for this was apparently a mass panic, which people would have literally crushed each other.

Photos and videos on social networks showed more than a dozen people lying on the ground and being cared for by rescue workers. Further recordings also show how several people are resuscitated at the same time. According to the fire department, more than 140 ambulances were on site.

President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered more emergency personnel to be sent to the region and hospital beds to be prepared. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is currently visiting Europe, is said to have announced his immediate return, according to Yonhap. The exact reasons for the tragedy were initially unclear.

Halloween celebrations have taken place in South Korea for the first time since the beginning of the corona pandemic in 2020. The tragedy happened in Itaewon, a nightlife district in the South Korean capital.