SEOUL, Oct 30: Over 150 people, most of them teenagers and those in their 20s,
were crushed to death and another 150 injured in a stampede at a packed Halloween
event in central Seoul on Saturday. The stampede occurred around 10:00 pm (1300
GMT).
Those killed included 19 foreigners. They were mostly from Iran, Norway, China
and Uzbekistan, a report said. The injured were being taken to the Soon Chun
Hyang University Hospital.
The authorities have received 3,580 reports of people missing. More than 90%
of the dead have been identified, the Government said. This was possible because
all above age 17 years are issued national ID cards.
Around 100,000 young people had gathered in the narrow streets of Itaewon district
to celebrate Halloween. There was commotion in the winding and sloping alleys
as people bustled around to find way forward. As they scrambled to escape the
crush, they fell on one another. Roadside bars and cafes aggravated the congestion.
Those trapped in the narrow spaces were screaming.
What triggered the commotion and the crowd surge is not known. The streets
were too packed for space to move. Even on normal days too the nightlife alleys
are crowded.
After the incident the scene presented a ghastly sight of bodies strewn all
over the pavements and the streets, many in their Halloween costunmes. Emergency
workers began loading them on to ambulances.
South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a period of national mourning
Sunday. He said the Government "will thoroughly investigate the cause of the
incident and make fundamental improvements to ensure the same accident does
not occur again in the future." Yoon and officials visited the scene Sunday
morning.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min said, “We understand that
it was not a problem that could have been solved by deploying police or firefighters
in advance.”
Many people from other countries come to celebrate Halloween in Itaewon.
What is Halloween
Halloween (a corruption of 'all hallows' eve'), also known as All Saints' Eve,
is marked by scary costume parties, carving pumpkins, lighting of bonfires,
and all things creepy - a celebration of the ghosts (souls of ancestors). In
most countries it is celebrated on October 31, on the eve of All Saints' Day.
The Christian holiday of All Saints' Day, the commemoration and celebration
of all saints for their achievements, falls on November 1, and is followed by All Souls' Day on November
2, when people visit loved ones' graves and pray. Chrysanthemum flowers, which
symbolize death, are offered at the graves.
Halloween also once marked the change of season. In India, death of ancestors
is not celebrated (unlike Halloween), instead they are commemorated. The period
is called ‘Pitru Paksha’.
