At least 146 in South Korea crushed to death in crowd surge

At least 146 people were killed and 150 more were injured in a crowd surge amid Halloween festivities in Seoul, South Korea, fire department officials said.

Officials said people were likely crushed to death when a large crowd surged forward in an alley in a popular party district of South Korea’s capital city, The Associated Press reported.

Seventy-four of the people who have been pronounced dead were taken to nearby hospitals, and the bodies of over 40 others were taken to a gym in the area to be identified, fire officials said in an earlier update.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol dispatched emergency medical services to the scene and the mayor of the city, Oh Se-hoon, is returning to the country amid a trip to the Netherlands, according to a report from The New York Times.

The stampede took place in Itaewon, a city center known for its nightlife.

— Updated at 3:34 p.m.