Itaewon Halloween crowd crush

A crowd crush occurred in a narrow, sloping alley in the Itaewon nightlife district of Seoul, as huge numbers of people gathered for the first Halloween celebrations in the city free of coronavirus restrictions. People moving in opposite directions became packed so tightly that those at the center could not breathe, and more than 150 people died, most of them in their teens, twenties and thirties. Many of the victims were young women, and foreign visitors were also among the dead. The disaster provoked national mourning and fierce criticism of the police and local authorities, who had not planned for such a large crowd and had been slow to respond to emergency calls. It led to investigations, prosecutions, and a political dispute over responsibility.

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