The Saturday catastrophe is estimated to have claimed the lives of more than 150 individuals, including citizens from more than 20 nations.
The horrific facts of the tragic crush in Seoul have been disclosed by eyewitnesses.
More than 150 people have been reported dead following a stampede in the capital of South Korea.
Nathan Taverniti, a witness from Sydney, Australia, recalled the anguish of witnessing the death of his friend in a now-deleted TikTok video.
Mr. Taverniti stated, “I was present when she stated she was unable to breathe.
We were shouting, ‘You must go back, you must turn around,’ but no one was listening.
He described the event as a “slow and agonizing crush” rather than a stampede.
Two of his other friends were also injured when a large crowd surged down a tiny street in the Itaewon neighborhood, causing a crush.
Mr. Taverniti added bitterly in his video, which has been viewed over nine million times, “I watched as others filmed, sang, and laughed while my friends and many others perished.”
“You are aware of the number of attendees for that event. Why weren’t you ready?”
Mr. Taverniti stated that “random people” were performing CPR on the scene, and it took 30 minutes for the first officer to arrive.
Some local media accounts indicate that the mob raced down the small roadway after hearing that an unidentified celebrity was in the vicinity.
Online footage depicted hundreds of people trapped in the lane while police and rescue personnel desperately attempted to liberate them.
Olivia Jacovic, another Australian witness, described the street as being “packed like sardines.”
The 27-year-old, who resides and works in Seoul, told Channel 9 news: “Once we shuffled out, we were… shoulder to shoulder, and people were staring up into the air, trying to breathe… there were a few ex-pats near me who said that a few individuals were already receiving CPR.
“People were merely passing by. It took a considerable amount of time to navigate the crowd. Some folks attempted to leave but were unable to.”
She went on to explain that the Halloween party was near a hill and that she had heard rumors that many had “fallen” at the bottom, causing a “domino effect” of people tripping over one another.
Ms. Jacovic stated that as the situation deteriorated, she just “wanted to get out of there,” and as she made her way to the sidelines, her garments were torn and her arms were damaged.
“People were simply unable to breathe,” she claimed. The shorter people were merely attempting to get oxygen by looking upwards.
Ken Fallas, a Costa Rican architect who has worked in South Korea for the past eight years, recounted seeing a large number of young individuals unable to comprehend what they had just seen.
He stated that he has witnessed individuals laughing because they were “too afraid” and unsure of how to react.
The 32-year-old stated, “No one realized what was occurring, as people continued to party despite the unfolding situation in front of us.
Officials have already confirmed that nationals from at least 24 nations, including Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan, China, and Norway, were killed in the event.
President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea has vowed to “thoroughly investigate” the situation and declared a period of national mourning.
