According to China News Service citing Yonhap News Agency , a serious stampede occurred in Itaewon, Seoul on the evening of the 29th. According to the latest news from the South Korean fire department on the 30th, the stampede has killed 151 people and injured 82 people. The Chinese Embassy in South Korea has confirmed that a Chinese citizen died in the accident.
Upstream news sorted out that in recent years, many serious stampedes around the world have occurred during festivals.
20-year-olds suffered the most casualties
According to witnesses, about 100,000 people attended festival parties in Itaewondong area on the evening of the 29th. The stampede occurred in a narrow alley next to a hotel, with crowds of people shoulder to shoulder. After someone fell in front, abortions followed, resulting in severe stampede. It was the weekend on the 29th. According to statistics from South Korean police, more than 100,000 people came here to party.
On the evening of October 29, a crowd gathered near Itaewon . Photo: China News Network Jiang Yizhi Photo
According to the South Korean police and fire department, at around 22:15 on the 29th, the fire department received the first report that someone was trapped in an alley near Itaewon Station and needed rescue. After the firefighters arrived at the scene, they found that dozens of people were in cardiac arrest and immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on them.
29 at 22:43 on the 29th, the fire department issued the first phase of response, the second phase of response was issued at 23:13, and the third phase of response was issued at 23:50.
In the early morning of October 30, ambulance workers were working on the scene in Itaewondong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. Xinhua News Agency /News News Agency
South Korea Fire Department said that in order to deal with the accident, more than 500 firefighters and more than 1,100 policemen were sent. In addition to local ambulances in Seoul, dozens of ambulances and fire trucks were also deployed from surrounding areas to rush to rescue. Medical staff from several hospitals in Seoul also rushed to the site for rescue, and set up temporary emergency centers near the accident site to provide first aid to the injured.
Fire department and police are investigating the identity of the victims. According to the fire department, the most casualties were young people in their 20s. The accident was the largest number of casualties in South Korea since the Severe Ship sinking in 2014.
In the early morning of October 30, ambulance workers were working on the scene in Itaewondong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. Xinhua News Agency/Neusis News Agency
South Korea enters the national mourning period
local time on October 30, local time, South Korea's President Yoon Seok-yeol delivered a televised speech to the people on the Itaewon stampede accident. Yoon Seo-hyo said that there was a tragedy of and a tragedy in the city center of Seoul, and the national mourning period will begin from today.
Yong Xiyue expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said that she would do everything possible to carry out rescue and aftermath.
South Korean President Yoon Seo-yeol held an emergency inspection meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Palace in the early morning of the 30th local time after giving two emergency instructions on the accident.
Yong Xiyue instructed that with the Ministry of Administrative Safety as the center, all relevant departments should do their best to provide quick first aid and treatment for the injured.
Seoul mayor Wu Sehoon , who is visiting Europe, also urgently embarked on the road to return home after hearing the report of the accident. After returning to China, he will immediately handle the accident and conduct on-site command. The investigation headquarters established after the accident will investigate the exact process of the accident, and will also investigate whether the business premises in Itaewon area have fulfilled their safety measures.
The nightclub-related cluster infection of the new coronavirus in May 2020 led to hundreds of confirmed cases, making Itaewon a "terror zone".
According to reports, Itaewon was designated as the earliest tourist special zone in Seoul in 1997. It is adjacent to the Longshan base of the US military stationed in South Korea and is inhabited by a large number of foreigners. It is called South Korea's "Wanguo City". 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.
A Chinese citizen died
According to CCTV News, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea contacted South Korea's police, firefighting and other relevant departments overnight to understand the cause of the accident and the nationality information of the victims. As of now, a Chinese citizen has been confirmed to die. The embassy asked the South Korean side to do a good job in the relevant aftermath and contact the families of the victims, express their condolences to them and will provide active assistance.
In recent years, most of the global severe stampede accidents have occurred on festivals
On October 1, 2022, a football match was held in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, and a fan riot and stampede occurred, 174 people died and 180 were injured. The stadium where the incident could only accommodate 38,000 spectators, but 42,000 tickets were sold that day.
On October 9, 2015, at least 1399 pilgrims were killed in a stampede near the Saudi holy city of Mecca.
On October 13, 2013, a stampede occurred in the Ledengel Temple in Detia region of Madhya Pradesh in central India, killing at least 115 people, including women and children, and more than 100 others were injured.
On the evening of November 22, 2010, during the celebration of the traditional festival Water delivery festival , a cable-stayed bridge on Diamond Island in the capital Phnom Penh was trampled, killing 347 people and injuring 395 people.
Upstream news comprehensive People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, China News Service, Global Times , Zhengguan News, Straits Guide
Editor Liu Deng
Editor Li Yang Wang Rong
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