'Mass casualty event' in Seoul leaves over 140 dead, another 150 injured

What has been described as a “stampede” at a Halloween party in Seoul’s night club district of Itaewon has turned into a mass casualty event that at last count included 146 people dead and another 150 injured. Hundreds of people were apparently pushed into a narrow street, where people fell and began to be piled one on top of another as panic spread through a large crowd. Deaths are being attributed to cardiac arrest and suffocation.

Over 100,000 people were reported to be in the Itaewon district for what had become an annual Halloween celebration that runs through streets and businesses. That large-scale party had been suspended or limited over the last two years because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Korean officials have identified the location of the tragedy as a narrow street or alley that is very close to a number of popular locations, as well as the Itaewon subway station. That alley reportedly served as a short cut connecting a number of bars and clubs. It’s unclear what event, if any, actually started the stampede.

Warning: Tweets below the break include images from the scene, some of which are highly distressing.