South Korea's Yoon declares mourning period after Halloween crush
The Hindu
President Yoon held an emergency meeting with senior aides and ordered a task force be set up to secure resources
South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a period of national mourning on October 30, 2022 after a Halloween crush killed some 151 people in a packed nightlife area in Seoul.
Mr. Yoon expressed condolences to the victims, mostly teenagers and people in their 20s, and his wishes for a speedy recovery to the many injured.
"This is truly tragic," he said in a statement. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul last night."
A huge crowd celebrating in the popular Itaewon district surged into an alley on October 29, 2022 night, emergency officials said, adding the death toll could rise.
Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said 151 deaths had been confirmed, including 19 foreigners. He told a briefing at the scene 82 people were injured, 19 of them seriously.
It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing. Many of the partygoers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.
Early on Sunday costumes and personal belongings mingled with blood spots in the narrow street. Survivors huddled under emergency blankets amid throngs of emergency workers, police, and media.