On Oct. 29, over 150 people were killed and at least 150 were left injured after a mass crowd surge of 100,000 people at a Halloween event in Seoul, South Korea.

Itaewon, a neighborhood known for its nightlife, hosted its first mask-free Halloween gathering post-pandemic. However, the curved alleys of the narrow streets combined with the large crowds led to a deadly stampede. Those who attended the event claimed that the area “felt unsafe” due to the congestion.

Officials quickly responded to the emergency with 1,701 personnel on the scene, as numerous people suffered cardiac arrest and had difficulty breathing and moving after being buried in the mob of people. Gurneys, body bags and people performing CPR covered the streets as ambulances rushed victims to local hospitals, where the death toll is likely to escalate. 

Yoon Suk-Yeol, the President of South Korea, declared an emergency meeting to investigate the cause of the incident and commanded authorities to identify the victims, whose bodies were contained in a gymnasium nearby, to attend to the distraught families. Currently, 2,600 missing person reports have been filed.

While the official reason for the incident remains unclear, the number of deaths continues to rise.