A Halloween festivity in the city of Itaewon, South Korea, resulted in a massive crowd surge that left many people severely injured and dead. 

About 100,000 people populated the narrow streets of the Itaewon district that evening and chaos arose. Although some survived the catastrophic event, about 149 people were suffocated to death. As they fell to the ground, many were trampled and left without air and medical assistance.

Nurses on the scene stated that “ people laid out on the ground” and “showed symptoms of cyanosis, or blue skin, or were bleeding from the nose or mouth.” (NYTimes, 2022) Others had skull injuries or needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, where emergency assistance workers were able to spread out patients on the sidewalks and perform life-saving techniques. Many bodies were transferred to the local hospital and to a nearby gymnasium. 

Since the tragedy, many have come out to support and share their condolences with the families in Itaewon, including South Korea’s President Yoon, U.S. President Joe Biden, and many more. President Yoon went to the media later on to discuss the incident, proclaiming there will be an effort to ensure safety within the nation as a result to the aftermath that unfolded on Halloween.