Seoul Stampede

Image by csk from Pixabay

At least 154 people were killed and over 100 more injured in a crowd surge in South Korea Saturday night. The tragedy occurred during Halloween celebrations in the Itaewon district of Seoul, the first such festivities since pandemic restrictions were lifted. Officials have not yet identified a cause of the crush, but many videos show costumed partiers navigating packed streets where over 100,000 people were gathered. The majority of the deceased—who died by suffocation (see explanation)—were in their teens or 20s, with almost twice as many female victims. Several foreigners were among the dead, including two Americans. See videos of the incident here (warning: graphic content). It is the second crowd surge causing over 100 deaths this month after 132 died following a soccer match in Indonesia.