An Australian man has paid an emotional tribute to a friend he said died in South Korea’s deadly Halloween crowd surge while blaming a lack of preparation by Seoul authorities for the tragedy.
Nathan Taverniti said two of his friends were in a critical condition and the other was one of more than 150 people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, who was trapped and crushed when a huge Halloween party crowd surged into a narrow alley in a nightlife district in Seoul on Saturday night.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed at least one Australian died in what was South Korea’s worst disaster in years.
Taverniti told Yonhap News Agency he and his 23-year-old Australian friend were on holiday in South Korea and that he searched for her body for hours.
She would have turned 24 next week.
“I was there when she said she couldn’t breathe and I grabbed one of my friends’ hands,” Taverniti said, wiping away tears in a TikTok video.
He rejected any idea there was a “stampede” in Seoul’s most cosmopolitan district, an area long popular among foreign residents and tourists that has become an increasingly well-known place to celebrate halloween.
“It was a slow, agonising crush. This crush was not caused by drunk people. It was lack of planning, police force and emergency services,” Taverniti said.
“And nobody was willing to help. I watched as people filmed and sang and laughed while my friends were dying, along with many other people.
“I was there trying to pull people out because there was not enough police officers and nobody was doing anything to make the crowd stop.
“We were yelling, we were saying ‘you have to go back, you have to turn around, people are dying’, but nobody was listening.”
In recent years, the days around Halloween have seen Itaewon’s lively streets filled with partygoers – expat and Korean alike – dressed up in holiday costumes. Those festivities continued even during the pandemic, which temporarily dampened Itaewon’s nightlife after several cases were traced to the area’s nightclubs and other venues.
Officials believe tens of thousands of revellers flocked to Itaewon on Saturday, in one of the biggest gatherings since the country removed most of its COVID-19 restrictions in recent months.
Witnesses said the streets were so densely clogged with people and slow-moving vehicles that it was practically impossible for emergency workers and ambulances to arrive in time, leaving them helpless to prevent the situation from developing into the country’s worst disaster in years.
Taverniti, who ABC America said was 24, said it took half an hour for police to arrive, another hour for reinforcements and even longer for other emergency services.
“This is how long it took to free my friends. two of my friends thankfully survived. But many, many others did not,” he said, adding that it took hours more to find his dead friend’s body.
“There were people lying on the ground getting CPR, not by health professionals, by random people, whoever could.
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“I am sad. I am devastated by the situation which could have so easily been avoided, but nobody would listen.”
On Saturday night, emergency workers were seen rushing to carry the injured and dead out in stretchers as ambulances lined up in the streets and a chaotic crowd fled the area.
Witnesses said the crowd surge caused “a hell-like” chaos as people fell on each other “like dominoes.”
“I still can’t believe what has happened. It was like a hell,” said Kim Mi Sung, an official at a nonprofit organisation that promotes tourism in Itaewon.
As of Sunday evening, officials put the death toll at 153 and the number of injured people at 133. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said the death count could further rise as 37 of the injured people were in serious conditions.
Ninety-seven of the dead were women and 56 were men. More than 80 per cent of the dead were in their 20s and 30s, but at least four were teenagers.
At least 20 of the dead are foreigners from China, Russia, Iran and elsewhere.
While there’s not widespread Western-style trick-or-treat activities in South Korea, Halloween-themed parties and events have become increasingly popular among young South Koreans, and Itaewon is the country’s hottest spot for such events, where bars, clubs and restaurants hold costume competitions.
Itaewon’s international character was shaped by its proximity to a US military garrison nearby. The area is still home to restaurants, bars and other businesses catering to the American community in Seoul.
The epicentre of the disaster appeared to be on a cramped, sloping alley running along the western side of the Hamilton Hotel. The brick hotel and its adjacent shopping centre are a well-known landmark in the area.
The lane would have left those seeking shelter with few options. One side is occupied by the mostly solid wall of the hotel. The other is lined with a handful of small storefronts, including bars, a small retail shop and a branch of the Emart24 convenience store chain.
The alley itself is on an incline that leads to one of the entrances to the busy Itaewon subway station, making it harder for revellers to maintain their footing as the crowd surged. The block-long alley links the main road with another narrow strip packed with bars and trendy restaurants.
Australians concerned about the welfare of loved ones can call DFAT’s Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135. Those outside Australia can call +61 2 6261 3305.
