Almost 154 people were killed in Seoul on Saturday night as Halloween revelers crushed their way ( Stampede ) into a small alley in the city’s Itaewon district, fire authorities said on Sunday.
The officials said that they got the first emergency call at 10:15 p.m. Among the victims, nearly a hundred were women while over 50 were men, and most were in their 20s and 30s. Another 149 people were injured as partygoers fell and were trampled. Let’s talk about the Stampedes and analyze Stampede in South Korea.
What Is a Stampede?
If you must have ever been to some most crowded places like concerts, rallies, events, festivals, or parties, you must have found yourself in the midst of a crowd of people packed together. This type of gathering usually seems to be pretty fine.
But you must have heard repeatedly about incidents of overcrowding, yes when this crowd surges beyond the capacity of the space, or if there is bad crowd management then chaos could result. While moving in the same direction at the same time in a crowd, people usually collide and pile up against or at the top of each other. This incident is termed a stampede or a crowd surge.
These stampedes have occurred several times around the world taking the lives of millions of people. A study on these incidents reported that between 1980 to 2007, there were around 215 crowd surge incidents that took the lives of more than 7,000 people and 14,000 injuries.
South Korea Halloween Stampede in Seoul
On Saturday, Almost 154 people were killed in Seoul on Saturday night as Halloween revelers crushed their way into a small alley in the city’s Itaewon district.
26 foreign nationals are among the dead, from nations including China, Japan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Norway, and others.
South Korean specialists said that they are shaping an investigation group to investigate the fiasco. President Yoon Suk-yeol has pronounced a public grieving period, promising to prepare all assets to help the dispossessed families and examine the causes.
“As the president, responsible for individuals’ life and well-being, I’m profoundly miserable,” Yoon said in a proclamation, focusing on the need to track down the causes. “I will make the issue the main concern of the public authority,” Yoon said.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said that the public authority had concluded the grieving time frame would go on until Nov. 5 to show sympathies to the people in question. The public authority will set up where residents can offer their appreciation and accolades in midtown Seoul.
The misfortune happened during Seoul’s first Halloween celebrations in quite a while, because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Itaewon is a famous region loaded with bars and eateries that had staggered from social removing limitations.
Numerous in the group on Saturday night had been wearing covers and costumes.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a tweet, “All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”
How to keep yourself safe In a Stampede?
Here are some things you can do to protect yourself if you are planning to attend such events or gatherings.
- Check the weather forecast before you leave for the venue. If it starts to rain or snow, the crowd could surge as people quickly seek shelter.
- Figure out parking ahead of time so you don’t have to rush to get in or out.
- Don’t go alone. Take a friend so you can look out for one another.
- If it’s a ticketed event, give someone a copy of your seating details in case they need to find you after an emergency.
- Carry your ID and cell phone with you.
- Wear bright, recognizable clothes so your loved ones can find you if there’s an emergency.
- Don’t wear long, flowy clothes or jewelry that can get caught or tangled and cause injuries.
- Wear comfortable shoes and make sure your laces are tied so you don’t trip.
- Take a water bottle and drink plenty of fluids. You don’t want to get dehydrated or dizzy when you’re in the middle of an energetic crowd.
- If you’re planning to take children, supervise them closely to make sure they always have enough space.
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