Scenes of Horror in Seoul After Halloween Stampede
Partygoers in costumes fleeing in panic, desperate attempts at first aid on the sidewalks, scores of bodies lined up under makeshift shrouds: in Seoul's lively Itaewon district, a Halloween festival turned tragic Saturday.
Nearly 150 people were killed in a crowd surge and stampede, the cause of which is still unclear, in this popular, cosmopolitan district of the South Korean capital, located close to a former U.S. military base, renowned for its bars and clubs.
Tens of thousands of people -- mostly young, and many wearing elaborate Halloween costumes -- had descended upon the district Saturday night, for the first major Halloween celebration since most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
"My friend said 'something terrible is happening outside,'" said Jeon Ga-eul, 30, who was having a drink at a bar at the moment the stampede hit.
"I said 'what are you talking about?' And then I went outside to see and there were people doing CPR in the street."
