Seoul Halloween Tragedy: Pope Francis offers prayers for victims of Seoul stampede

At least 151 people were killed Saturday and some 100 were injured in a stampede in central Seoul when thousands crowded into narrow streets to celebrate Halloween, officials said. Fire Department official Choi Seong-beom said the stampede took place around 10 pm (1300 GMT). Officials had said earlier that 50 people were in cardiac arrest and that more than 140 ambulances were dispatched to the scene to aid the victims. Here are the highlights from the tragedy.

People look at tributes at a makeshift memorial outside the Itaewon subway station in the district of Itaewon in Seoul on October 30, 2022, the day after a Halloween stampede in the area.

Pope Francis offers prayers for victims of Seoul stampede

Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for victims of the stampede in Seoul that killed more than 150 people during a Halloween event.

Following his traditional Angelus address at Saint Peter's Square, Francis asked the faithful to pray "for the so many, especially young people, who died last night in Seoul, the tragic consequence of the sudden crush of the crowd".

A person pays tribute to the victims near the scene of the stampede in Seoul during Halloween festivities.

Seoul stampede death toll rises to 153, could climb further

The death toll in the halloween stampede in South Korea's capital Seoul has mounted to 153 and could rise further, as 19 people sustained serious injuries.

The stampede marked the worst tragedy in South Korea since the 2014 sinking of the ferry Sewol that killed 304 people, mostly high school students.

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South Korean national flag atop the Embassy of Korea in New Delhi flies at half-mast as the country mourns the death of at least 151 people

Scenes of horror in Seoul after Halloween stampede

Party-goers in costumes fleeing in panic, desperate attempts at first aid on the sidewalks, scores of bodies lined up under makeshift shrouds: in Seoul's lively Itaewon district, a Halloween festival turned to tragedy Saturday.

More than 150 people -- mostly in their teens and 20s -- were killed in a crowd surge and stampede, the cause of which is still unclear, in this popular, cosmopolitan district of the South Korean capital, located close to a former US military base and renowned for its bars and clubs.

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Seoul Halloween stampede | Death toll rises to 151 including 19 foreigners from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway, reports Yonhap news agency

South Korea's Yoon declares national mourning period over stampede -Yonhap

South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday declared national mourning period over a stampede during Halloween festivities, saying it was so miserable to see such a disaster happening in the heart of Seoul, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Biden offers condolences after deadly stampede in S. Korea

USPresident Joe Biden offered his deepest condolences after at least 149 people were killed in a stampede at a Halloween event in South Korea, calling the incident tragic.

"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured," he wrote, referring to his wife, first lady Jill Biden.

'France is by your side': Macron tells Seoul

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday offered France's "heartfelt" support to South Korea after more than 140 people were killed in a stampede during Halloween festivities in central Seoul.

"Heartfelt thoughts for the residents of Seoul and the Korean people after the tragedy at Itaewon. France is by your side," Macron said on Twitter.

Death toll moves up, over 140 dead: Officials

More than 140 people were killed and some 150 were injured in a stampede during Halloween festivities in central Seoul on Saturday, officials said.

Belongings of victims are seen at the scene where many people died and were injured in a stampede during a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea

Video footage from the scene of the crush showed people performing emergency first aid on several victims who appeared to be prone on the pavement, while rescue workers rushed to help others.

Yellow-jacketed policemen formed a cordon around the site of the crush, with rescue officials loading victims -- some of whom were covered with blankets -- into ambulances.

Around two dozen people were entirely covered by makeshift blankets on the roadside.

At least 120 killed in Halloween crush in Seoul

At least 120 people were killed Saturday and some 100 were injured in a stampede in central Seoul when thousands crowded into narrow streets to celebrate Halloween, officials said.

Fire Department official Choi Seong-beom said the stampede took place around 10 pm (1300 GMT) and many of the victims were trampled to death.

"The high number of casualties was the result of many being trampled during the Halloween event," Choi said, adding that the death toll could climb.