At least 120 people were killed and 100 more injured in a crush at a Halloween celebration Saturday in Seoul, South Korean officials said.
People were crushed to death when a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley, officials said.
The head of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department said the death toll could rise and that many of the injured were in critical condition, according to media reports.
“The area is still chaotic so we are still trying to figure out the exact number of people injured,” said Moon Hyun-joo, an official at the National Fire Agency, Reuters reported.
There were reportedly 100,000 revellers in the area celebrating the first outdoor no-mask Halloween event since the pandemic.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for the injured and to review the safety of the festivity sites, the Associated Press reported. He also instructed the health ministry to swiftly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds in nearby hospitals to treat the injured, the AP said.