{O/C} {Good evening}
Sheer horror gripped a packed nightlife district in Seoul early today when a stampede erupted following a massive Halloween party.
At least 153 people were crushed to death, and 82 others wounded.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a nationwide period of mourning as the entire country was plunged into grief and shock.
{The following descriptions may be disturbing.}
{Take SOT}
{Upsound 00:00 - 00:03}
Blood-curdling scenes blanketed Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon on Saturday night.
(More details below)
{Soundbite}
Oh my god, oh my god.
{VO}
The crush began at around 10:20 local time last night, when raucous crowds with wacky costumes were cramming into a steep and narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel.
That's when police started having trouble maintaining order as many partygoers were trampled to death.
{Upsound 00:34 - 00:35}
In the aftermath, bloodied bodies lined the streets, with some wrapped in body bags pouring out of the narrow alley as people watched on in a state of shock.
At least 50 partygoers died at the scene.
Distressing videos reveal paramedics rendering CPR amid the chaos.
Terrorised witnesses likened the horrendous stampede to a war.
{Soundbite}
NATHAN TAVERNITI, Witness:
There was just obviously waves of people coming in, this is like the middle of Itaewon, so waves are coming in from both sides.
And more people fell, and I lost my friend.
{VO}
With streets choked with swarms of people and slow-moving vehicles, it was nearly impossible for emergency workers to tend to the wounded.
At least 153 people have been killed so far, many of them in their late teens or early 20s, with 82 others injured.
The city government cited calls from more than 2,600 people reporting their missing loved ones.
Grieving relatives scrambled to hospitals in dire search of their loved ones.
Makeshift morgues were set up at 42 hospitals across Seoul to temporarily house the corpses.
An estimated 100,000 people had flocked to Itaewon for the country's biggest outdoor Halloween revelry since the pandemic, despite stringent gathering limits.
A gutted President Yoon Suk-yeol toured the scene today and offered his condolences.
{Upsound 02:14 - 02:15}
He's also declared a national mourning period and ordered flags at government and public buildings to be lowered to half-staff.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted, "All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time."
In a statement U.S. President Joe Biden expressed sorrow and best wishes to the injured.
In China, President Xi Jinping expressed utter shock and deep condolences.
It was the deadliest stampede in South Korea on record, also the second in Asia this month.
As the reality sinks in, a horror-wrought nation, now engulfed by tears, grief and despair.
{O/C}
The Hong Kong Immigration Department says no Hong Kong citizens were involved in the stampede.
This comes as Chief Executive John Lee expressed "profound sorrow".
{RVO}
Meantime, the state-owned Xinhua news agency reported, at least four Chinese nationals died with two others injured.
At least 20 foreigners hailing from the United States, Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway were among the dead.
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