The streets of Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea were narrow and steep. They were once a famous red light district in Seoul. In addition, in order to cater to the nearby Yongsan base of the US military stationed in South Korea, the blocks were filled with cheap beer and counterfeit goods, and they could also rent female companions.
But over the past 20 years, Itaewon has undergone earth-shaking changes. According to reports, Itaewon was designated as the earliest tourist special zone in Seoul in 1997, and a large number of foreigners live in it. It is called the "Wanguocheng" in South Korea. On the 1.4-kilometer-long street, there are stores selling clothing, backpacks and other department stores, as well as various hotels, restaurants, and amusement places. It is one of the main blocks for young Koreans to have night entertainment.
Today, Itaewon has gained a reputation for its open and diverse nature, known for its bright bars, restaurants, cafes and shops.
↑ Video screenshot from @CCTV International Times
The streets are narrow and
cannot cope with large-scale carnival
In recent years, Halloween has become increasingly popular among young Koreans, and Itaewon has naturally become an internet celebrity to celebrate Halloween. At around 9 p.m. local time on Saturday, October 29, 2022, about 100,000 people celebrate Halloween in Itaewon.
However, a tragic stampede occurred in Itaewon this year. As of now, the accident has caused at least 151 deaths and 82 injuries, and the number of casualties is expected to increase further.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but videos from the scene show that it is mainly because narrow streets and alleys cannot cope with the arrival of large-scale revelers.
The traffic in the afternoon was already very large
The number of people at the time of the incident was too large, and the mobile phone signal was unstable
Video shows that a large number of people gathered at Itaewon a few hours before the accident began. Some people said on social media that they had arrived in the afternoon because they predicted that there would be many people, but even so, there were still many people when they arrived, and the scale was shocking. There is a Hamilton hotel near the scene of the incident, with a large flow of people there, and the situation is particularly serious. South Korean authorities said the first call for help came at 10:15 p.m., with emergency personnel arrived in minutes, while the peak of Seoul party was usually hours later.
Some videos show that there are also a large number of people in the alley near Itaewon subway station. Some people seem to want to leave Itaewon, return to the main street, and leave by car. Witnesses said in an interview with Korean media news that due to the large crowd, the mobile phone service in Itaewon was very unstable at the time. Some pictures taken in
in the evening of that day show the high degree of crowding, and some people even kept pushing and shoving those who were blocking the front and not leaving.
Some photos show the casualties of the stampede lying on the sidewalks and streets, and staff covered their bodies completely with blankets.
Even though the tragedy was happening, the nearby bars continued to open until 5 a.m. They obviously didn't know what was happening nearby.
Red Star News Reporter Wang Yalin Intern Liang Hong
Editor Tang Huan Editor Pan Li
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