South Korea woke up in shock. Saturday night's deadly stampede in its capital, Seoul, during the Halloween celebration was not a nightmare, it was a huge tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 153 people and injured 82 others, the vast majority were teenagers or twentysomethings, but the figure could increase, since there are 19 seriously injured. Meanwhile, the police are trying to identify among the victims some 350 people whose disappearances have been reported to local authorities.
Among the names sought is that of Masela, the 22-year-old whose mother has not heard from him since he left for work at an Itaewon club at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Four hours later, the human avalanche took place in a narrow street in front of the subway station in this neighborhood, near the Hotel Hamilton.
Philomene Aby, originally from the Ivory Coast and a resident of Seoul for 18 years, went to one of the community centers that have been set up in the city to care for family members following the disaster. Through tears, the woman's hands shook as she asked for information about the whereabouts of her son. "I called her number but... she didn't answer," Aby explained to the Reuters agency.
During the night, more than 3,500 calls from relatives desperate to find their relatives of whom they knew nothing were answered. In the center where Aby went, a person collapsed and fell to his knees on the ground after speaking with one of the officials. "No one tells me the truth," said Aby, who left the center without having obtained any information about his son.
The Minister of the Interior, Lee Sang Min, assured at noon (local time) that about 90% of the victims had been identified and that the authorities were still working to identify the remaining 10%. He pointed out that foreigners or teenagers who have not yet registered with the government take more time, in which case they have to consult directly with the families. At the moment it is known that there are 22 foreigners among the deceased.
It is believed that the event took place in a sloping alley, about four meters wide and adjacent to the aforementioned hotel. According to witnesses quoted by South Korean media, a collective fall occurred at the top of the slope, which caused a chain avalanche. At the moment the reason for the incident is unknown. It is believed that the crowd was created because the rumor spread of the presence of a famous person in one of the premises.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared national mourning for one of the country's worst disasters and the world's worst stampedes in decades. Yoon expressed his condolences to the victims, mostly in their teens and 20s, and his wishes for a speedy recovery for the many injured. "This is truly tragic," he said in a statement. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place last night in the heart of Seoul," he added.
Every year the Itaewon neighborhood, adjacent to a US military base and a well-known nightlife area, becomes the busiest place to celebrate Halloween in Seoul, and according to local media, thousands of people would have gathered on its streets on this occasion. .
From the United States to China, through Japan, France, Singapore and the members of the European Union, there are many international leaders who have shown their sadness and horror at the tragedy that occurred in Seoul. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden sent their "deepest condolences" to the families of those who died. Similarly, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the news from Seoul as "horrific" on Twitter.
Among those killed in the disaster are people from China, Iran, Russia, the United States, Australia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Austria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Norway and France, the Yonhap news agency reported. At least four Chinese citizens were among the dead. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed "shock" at the event and conveyed "the condolences of the Chinese people and government" to the families of the deceased and the injured in a message sent to his South Korean counterpart.
"I am extremely shocked and deeply saddened by the extremely tragic accident in Itaewon, Seoul, which claimed many precious lives, including those of young people with a future ahead of them," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrote in a tweet. From France, President Emmanuel Macron, who tweeted in both French and Korean, offered support to residents of Seoul and South Korea. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed similar sentiments on Twitter, sending his "deepest condolences" to the people of South Korea "and wishing those injured a speedy and full recovery."
