This horrifying news is becoming the focus of ̾k̾o̾r̾e̾an and world media in the past hours. South ̾k̾o̾r̾e̾an media say about 100,000 people have flocked to the streets of Itaewon for Halloween, the biggest festival in years after COVID-19 restrictions were eased in recent months.

However, unthinkable, this festival turned into a tragedy when hundreds of people díєd in just one night. Here's what happened at Itaewon last night:

On October 29 around 10:00 PM (KST), Yongsan Fire Station received numerous reports of a “crush accident” or a human stampede taking place in Itaewon - a district in Seoul, South ̾k̾o̾r̾e̾a, famous for its annual Halloween celebrations. After that, emergency workers, fire crews, ρσℓι¢є numbering more than 400 people and many vehicles were dispatched to rescue the crowd trapped on this street.

Choi Cheon Sik, an official with the national fire agency, said that more than 400 emergency personnel and 142 vehicles from all over the country, including all available manpower in Seoul, have been deployed to the area to help the injured after receiving multiple emergency calls. According to initial information, South ̾k̾o̾r̾e̾an officials said about 50 people were in cardiac arrest and possibly many díєd shortly after the stampede, AP reported.

Although vehicles and rescue workers were deployed here, because of the large area and the flow of people, it took a long time to reach the injured. Meanwhile, some people who were present nearby noted that it was difficult to drag the person being trampled on when the terrain was a slope, leading to more people falling into life-threatening situations.

Early this morning KST, Choi Sung Beom, head of the fire brigade in Yongsan, said the incident had left at least 149 people d̾e̾a̾d ̾, Reuters reported. Many of the injured are in serious condition and are being treated urgently, Choi added.

The d̾e̾a̾t̾h toll could rise as rescue operations are still underway. Mr. Choi said it was possible that some people were trampled to d̾e̾a̾t̾h after a crowd began shoving forward in a narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel, a major party venue in Seoul.

Footage and photos from the scene showed ambulances lining the streets as large numbers of ρσℓι¢є and emergency workers moved the injured on stretchers. Emergency workers and residents were also seen performing CPR on people lying on the street. Many of the injured are said to be lying on yellow sheets.

Earlier, some local media reported that this incident happened after a large number of people flocked to a bar in Itaewon. They are said to have heard about a famous artist coming to this location.

The alley next to the Hamilton hotel where the casualties occurred, only the size of a sedan pαssing by, was filled with the flow of people heading here. Not only that, the steep terrain of the alley caused crowds of people to form pressure at the bottom of the slope and push others to trample each other. The main causes of d̾e̾a̾t̾h were suffocation and stomping injuries.

Immediately after the incident, South ̾k̾o̾r̾e̾an President Yoon Suk Yeol chaired an emergency meeting with top aides and ordered the dispatch of an emergency medical team to the area, his office said. He urged officials to ensure prompt treatment of the injured and review the safety of festival sites, Reuters reported.

In addition, South ̾k̾o̾r̾e̾an Prime Minister Han Duck Soo asked relevant agencies to "make every effort" to save the victims. He hastily directed relevant ministries to "make every effort to minimize casualties". The Prime Minister asked the head of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, the fire prevention agency, to quickly αssess the damage caused by the tragedy.

Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Oh Se Hoon, who is on a visit to Europe, has decided to return home after the αccídєnt, city officials said. Currently, the situation here has been basically resolved, but the number of casualties is still increasing and the haunting scene after Halloween night makes people haunt.