At least 26 foreign nationals are among the 154 confirmed deaths in a stampede as Halloween revellers crushed their way into a small alley in Seoul's Itaewon district.

Over 100,000 people congregated in the entertainment district on Saturday to celebrate the first Halloween weekend without masks and social distancing measures since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to unconfirmed reports, people were rushing to see a celebrity at one of the establishments in the area. The stampede reportedely occurred when some people in the middle of the crowd tripped and fell, pushing over others next to them and triggering a domino effect.

Itaewon is a popular area packed with bars and restaurants that had reeled from social distancing restrictions.

Earlier only two foreigners were reported as dead in the horrific incident, but the number significantly increased after the identity of Chinese and Southeast Asians, who were counted among Koreans, was established. The foreign nationals who died include those from China, Japan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, U.S and Norway.

Two U.S. college students studying abroad were identified as among the dead.

Among the victims, nearly a hundred were women, while over 50 were men, and most were in their 20s and 30s. Another 149 people were injured as partygoers fell and were trampled.

One middle schooler and five high school students were among the 154 victims killed in the Halloween crowd crush, the country's education ministry said.

South Korean actor Lee Ji-han and former cheerleader Kim Yu-na died in Saturday's tragic crowd crush in Itaewon.

"As the identity of the casualties is still being identified, there is a possibility that the number of foreign casualties will increase further," The Korean Herald quoted officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. as saying,

"In close consultation with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, We will promptly make the necessary follow-up measures regarding foreign casualties." the officials added.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a national mourning period, vowing to mobilize all resources to help the bereaved families and investigate the causes.

Yoon, saying he was ultimately responsible for the safety of the South Korean people, ordered an emergency review of what he termed "Halloween festivals" in the area.

seoul stampede

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