Dozens Suffer Cardiac Arrests At Seoul Halloween Celebrations

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Dozens of people suffered from cardiac arrest in the South Korean capital Seoul on Saturday, after thousands of people crowded into narrow streets in the city’s Itaewon neighbourhood to celebrate Halloween, local officials said.

A fire brigade official confirmed the incident to AFP, saying that more than 140 ambulances had been dispatched to the scene to aid the victims.

Around 50 people were in cardiac arrest in the central Seoul neighbourhood, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the fire department.

Itaewon is a popular destination for people celebrating Halloween in the South Korean capital, and the injuries appeared to occur as the result of a crush resulting from the size of the crowd.

President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered officials to dispatch first aid teams and to swiftly secure hospital beds for those affected, the presidential office said.

Photographs published by Yonhap appeared to show more than a dozen people lying prone on a street that had been cordoned off by authorities, with rescue workers tending to some of them.

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The Barron’s news department was not involved in the creation of the content above. This story was produced by AFP. For more information go to AFP.com.© Agence France-Presse