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Friday, December 8, 2023 | 
U.S. & World

Nearly 150 dead in South Korea Halloween incident

The deaths were caused by a surge of people trying to push through a narrow street after a Halloween party in downtown Seoul

By Ashley Nash
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Rescue workers try to carry victims on the street in Seoul, South Korea.

Rescue workers try to carry victims on the street near the scene, in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. South Korean officials say at least 120 people were killed and 100 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. Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said the death toll could rise, saying that an unspecified number among the injured were in critical conditions.

Lee Jin-man, Associated Press

South Korean officials reported that at least 146 people were killed and 150 more were injured during Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea, when a large crowd pushed forward on a narrow street, causing many to suffer from cardiac arrest, according to The Associated Press.

The news: The event took place around 10:20 p.m. local time on Saturday night, CNN reports.

  • Officials expect death tolls to rise as people are still being brought into local hospitals, per Axios.
  • The tragedy took place near Seoul’s Hamilton Hotel, which is known as a popular party location in the city, according to BBC.
  • The deaths are in connection to a large Halloween party that happened near the city center, according to South Korean news outlet Yonhap News Agency.

Key quote: “The top priority is to evacuate and save the victims. We should take them to urgent medical treatment as quickly as possible,” said South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol in an emergency meeting, according to The New York Times.

Witness statements: “People crushed under the crowd were crying and I thought I would be crushed to death too, breathing through a hole and crying for help,” a witness tweeted, according to Axios.

  • The Washington Post states that the crowd was “elbow-to-elbow,” and that many could not hear each other over the noise or make phone calls due to a lack of cellphone service.