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150 killed in stampede at Halloween event in Seoul (pics)
At least 150 people have been killed in a crush when a huge crowd celebrating Halloween surged into an alley in a nightlife area of the South Korean capital Seoul last night.
Emergency officials at the scene have said a further 150 people were injured in the melee in Seoul’s Itaewon district.
Many of the injured were in serious condition and receiving emergency treatment, the officials said.
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.
Some witnesses described the crowd becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as the evening deepened. The incident took place at about 10:20pm (1320 GMT).
Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene, “A number of people fell during a Halloween festival, and we have a large number of casualties.” Many of those killed were near a nightclub.
