South Korea's Prez Yoon declares national mourning after Seoul stampede leaves 151 dead

As a catastrophic stampede that occurred during Halloween festivities in Seoul claimed the lives of at least 151 people, the President of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, has declared a period of national mourning. He called on authorities  to ensure a swift "post-accident management" and directed the lowering of flags over the tragedy. Addressing the nation on Sunday from the presidential office the day following the stampede, Yoon called the incident a "tragedy" and a "disaster that shouldn't have happened". He added he felt "heavy-hearted" at the loss of lives.

As per the authorities cited by South Korea's Yonhap news agency, the fatal stampede occurred on Saturday during Halloween celebrations in Seoul's Itaewon area, killing at least 151 people and injuring 82 more.   

South Korea's national mourning period

Yoon said in the address, “As president, who is responsible for the people’s lives and safety, my heart is heavy and I struggle to cope with my grief”. "The government will designate the period from today until the accident is brought under control as a period of national mourning and will place top priority in administrative affairs in recovery and follow-up measures,” he added as per Yonhap news agency.  

The South Korean President further sent his sympathies for the fatalities and wished the injured a quick recovery. Yoon stated during his speech that the government will offer support for those planning the funerals of the people who perished in the tragic tragedy. 

Yoon Suk-yeol on South Korea stampede

The President further stated the government is dedicated to fully mobilising emergency medical resources to treat patients, including by allocating public employees to individuals in need of support, according to the South Korean news source. The most crucial thing, he added, is to identify the accident's cause and prevent similar ones in the future.  

According to Yoon, “We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and make fundamental improvements so that similar accidents do not happen again in the future.” 

In an effort to assure safety, the interior ministry of the nation and other relevant ministries will conduct an emergency assessment of all Halloween events and other regional holidays. Yoon also went to the accident scene before moving on to central Seoul to chair a meeting of the government's response team. 

According to Choi Seong-beom, the chief of the fire department in Yongsan, during a briefing, foreigners from Iran, Uzbekistan, China, and Norway are among the nationalities of those killed in South Korea.  

Additionally, the agency quoting the Seoul Metropolitan Government stated on Sunday that it had received roughly 270 reports of missing people connected to the fatal stampede that occurred during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighbourhood.  

In addition to more than 400 additional emergency responders, almost all of Seoul's staff was sent to treat the injured. As ambulances lined up in the streets and cops descended in huge numbers, emergency professionals placed the injured onto stretchers. 

(Image: AP)