At least 153 people were killed in a crash when a huge crowd celebrating Halloween surged into an alley in a nightlife area of the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday night, emergency officials said. Most of those who died were said to be teenagers and people in their 20s. Authorities said 22 foreigners were killed, including those from Iran, Uzbekistan, China, and Norway.

At least a further 133 people were injured in the melee in Seoul’s Itaewon district, Mr. Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene. Nineteen of the injured were in serious condition and receiving emergency treatment, the officials said, adding the death toll could rise. It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing. Many of the partygoers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.

Some witnesses described the crowd becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as the evening deepened. The incident took place at about 10.20 pm (9.20 pm Singapore time). “A number of people fell during a Halloween festival, and we have a large number of casualties,” Mr Choi said. Many of those killed were near a nightclub.