[ad_1]
A girl locations a bouquet of flowers to pay tribute for victims close to the scene of the lethal crowd crush tragedy in Seoul, South Korea.
Ahn Younger-joon/AP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Ahn Younger-joon/AP
A girl locations a bouquet of flowers to pay tribute for victims close to the scene of the lethal crowd crush tragedy in Seoul, South Korea.
Ahn Younger-joon/AP
At the least two U.S. residents had been amongst these killed within the lethal crowd surge in South Korea’s capital on Saturday night time, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul has confirmed.
“I’m deeply saddened by the lack of so many lives final night time, to incorporate two younger Individuals celebrating alongside their Korean buddies and others from around the globe,” U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Philip Goldberg stated in an announcement.
Authorities say greater than 150 persons are lifeless and 133 injured, a lot of whom had been younger adults celebrating Halloween.
As of 9 p.m. Sunday native time, officers say not less than 26 international nationals had been killed within the incident within the Itaewon neighborhood, based on native media studies.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is working with native authorities and offering consular help to any U.S. residents affected, a spokesman instructed NPR.
The favored district in Seoul was internet hosting Halloween celebrations that drew round 100,000 individuals when the group surge started. Many had been trying to assemble in a slender alley stuffed with bars and eating places, based on native media.
In response to the tragedy, South Korea Prime Minister Han Duck-soo introduced a interval of nationwide mourning to final till midnight on Nov. 5.
The federal government has declared Seoul’s Yongsan district, the place Itaewon is positioned, a particular catastrophe space. Underneath this designation, the federal government pays funeral charges for the lifeless, medical prices for the injured, and comfort funds to bereaved households.
A police officer stands on patrol on the scene of the lethal stampede throughout a Halloween pageant.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Photos
disguise caption
toggle caption
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Photos
A police officer stands on patrol on the scene of the lethal stampede throughout a Halloween pageant.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Photos
Particulars of simply how chaotic the scene was in Itaewon have begun to emerge within the hours since information of the crush made headlines around the globe.
Movies have popped up online displaying the sheer mass of individuals crowded into not less than one tight road. Some individuals will be heard screaming, and most seem fully unable to maneuver.
One employee at an Itaewon membership, positioned on the uphill finish of the roughly 11-foot-wide alley resulting in the district’s most important road, recalled to reporters seeing the group of revelers surge on Saturday night time.
“We may hear some individuals within the crowd saying, do not push, however somebody within the again stated, hey, push! Push! And folks began screaming, and the group poured in towards our membership,” he stated.
The person, who declined to provide his title to reporters, stated they’d ordinarily not let minors into their membership, however they opened their doorways to attempt to save lives.
“However even after we did that, there have been individuals collapsed on the entrance, and a few handed out,” he added. “We tried to rescue them, however our membership was on the finish of the surge and there have been already three or 4 layers of individuals piled on, so we could not.”
He stated his lack of ability to assist individuals “retains haunting me, and pains me.”
Different videos shared on social media show a number of individuals, some clad of their Halloween costumes, trying CPR on rows victims unconscious on sidewalks.
Survivors wrestle to find buddies
Kinfolk of lacking individuals weep at a group service heart in Seoul, South Korea.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Photos
disguise caption
toggle caption
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Photos
Kinfolk of lacking individuals weep at a group service heart in Seoul, South Korea.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Photos
Many of the lifeless had been recognized by mid-morning on Sunday. The duty was simplified by the truth that Korean residents over the age of 17 are required to submit fingerprints to authorities.
Koreans and international nationals who’re lacking buddies and kin got here to a close-by group heart to attempt to determine footage of the victims.
Park Kang-hyun, 26, traveled to Seoul from Gwangju metropolis, within the nation’s southeast, searching for two lacking buddies. One misplaced her cellphone however survived, he stated. The opposite stays lacking.
The buddy who survived stated “there have been simply too many individuals. They did not actually have a second to really feel scared. Everybody simply fell down.”
He continued to seek for his different buddy, however metropolis officers “simply instructed me to attend. There’s nothing we will do now.”
Nathan Taverniti, 24, was on trip from Australia. He instructed reporters he was in Itaewon with three buddies.
“I used to be there the entire night time. Some individuals fell in entrance of me, and I misplaced a gaggle of my buddies,” he stated. “By some means, I acquired out, however all three of my buddies … two are in hospital, and one has handed away,” he stated, preventing again tears.
“There was no police. There was no person to assist me,” he stated. “It was simply me and different bystanders. And I could not do something.”
NPR’s Se Eun Gong contributed to this report from Seoul.
[ad_2]
Source link
