At least 120 people died and more than 100 were injured in a stampede in Seoul on Saturday in celebration of Halloween, according to a local officials.
Officials said the death toll could continue to rise.
The event was the “first outdoor no-mask Halloween event” in South Korea since the Covid pandemic started, the BBC reported. Nearly 100,000 revelers were jammed into the Itaewon district of Seoul, the nation’s capital.
“A lot of young people have gathered here tonight. A lot of people came to the party and club, wearing costumes, and a lot of people I’ve seen distraught and sad, and there are chaotic scenes,” a local BBC correspondent reported.
According to the local Yonhap News Agency, dozens of people suffering from “cardiac arrest” and were rushed to hospitals, with nearly 100 participants reporting difficulty breathing.
South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol has ordered disaster medical relief forces to assist, and he ordered a review of the safety of festivity sites.
The crush began down a narrow alleyway full of bars and neon lights. Video circulating from the night shows the street densely packed with people who apparently had nowhere to go.