Scariest Halloween of the year ; 149 people killed in South Korea
As many as 100,000 people were celebrating in a popular nightlife district in the center of the South Korean capital.
SEOUL – This year’s Halloween festival was a terrifying one, the home-made Halloween festival turns out to be the scariest Halloween ever in the history for the South Korea.
A raucous Halloween celebration in the swinging center of the South Korean capital morphed on Saturday night into a grim procession of bodies after at least 151 people were killed in the crush of a crowd stuck in a narrow roadway, officials said.
Dozens more were injured, many of them seriously, according to a fire department spokesman.
As many as 100,000 people were celebrating Halloween in Itaewon, an area of central Seoul popular for its nightlife. The holiday had long been a neighborhood favorite before being interrupted by coronavirus restrictions imposed on the city two years ago, and young people flocked to parties on Saturday night.
The Itaewon district is popular with young South Koreans and expatriates alike, its dozens of bars and restaurants packed on Saturday for Halloween after businesses had suffered a sharp decline over three years of the pandemic.
“You would see big crowds at Christmas and fireworks … but this was several ten-folds bigger than any of that,” Park Jung-hoon, 21, told Reuters from the scene.
U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife sent their condolences and wrote: “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.”
Jill and I are devastated to learn that at least two Americans are among so many who lost their lives in Seoul. Our hearts go out to their loved ones in this time of grief, and we continue to pray for the recovery of all who were injured.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 30, 2022
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.”
Horrific news from Seoul tonight.
All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 29, 2022
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a period of national mourning on Sunday after a Halloween crush killed some 151 people .
Why Halloween Celebrated in the World ?
Halloween is celebrated every year on 31 October.
Halloween, originally a Celtic festival called Samhain, was celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries. This was followed by the end of summer and the beginning of winter, during which the Celts built bonfires to mark the change of seasons.
This tradition then became associated with the Roman festivals of Pomona and Farelia. When Irish and British diaspora migrated across the Atlantic, after which Halloween began to be celebrated in America as well.
how people celebrate halloween ?
On Halloween, people wear ghostly clothes and go to people’s homes and give candy as gifts. According to Irish folk tales, it is customary to make Jack O-Lantern on this day. On this day people take a hollow pumpkin, in which they make eyes, nose and mouth and a candle is placed inside it. In the end it is buried.
Special Report by Diplomat Times
