According to South Korean officials, during Halloween celebrations in the nation's capital Seoul, some 50 people suffered cardiac arrest and a number of others were presumed dead after being trampled by a big crowd pressing forward on a small street. According to Choi Cheon-sik, a representative of the National Fire Agency, some 100 individuals were alleged to have been hurt during the crowd rush on Saturday night in the Itaewon leisure area, and as of early Sunday, about 50 people were receiving treatment for cardiac arrest. People are thought to have been crushed to death as a sizable crowd started rushing forward in a tight alley outside the Hamilton Hotel, a popular gathering place for revellers in Seoul, according to Mr. Choi. In order to treat the injured, he claimed that more than 400 emergency personnel from throughout the country—pretty much the entire staff in Seoul—had been rushed to the streets. A death toll was not immediately announced by the authorities.

Key Points

• According to South Korean officials, during Halloween celebrations in the nation's capital Seoul, some 50 people suffered cardiac arrest and a number of others were presumed dead after being trampled by a big crowd pressing forward on a small street.

• A death toll was not immediately announced by the authorities.