LIVE: At least 149 people dead after a Halloween crowd surge in Seoul, South Korea

We're going to stop updating this space for the night, but the tragedy in Seoul is still unfolding. In the coming hours and days, NPR will continue bringing you live updates at NPR.org, as well as on your local NPR radio station.

You can also follow NPR's Seoul-based correspondent Anthony Kuhn on twitter @akuhnNPRnews.

Thanks for joining us.

Seoul officials said about 270 people have been reported missing as of 6 p.m. ET, or 7 a.m. in Seoul, according to SBS News.

People are reporting those missing via phone or by visiting the Hannam-dong Community Service Center.

Authorities created a makeshift morgue in the Wonhyoro Multipurpose Indoor Gymnasium near the Han River early Sunday morning, according to The New York Times. Families grimly wait around the back entrance of the gym to see if their loved ones are among the bodies.

NPR's Anthony Kuhn, who's on the ground in Seoul, says the streets of Itaewon, where an estimated 100,000 people were gathered before the stampede, were that of a ghost town not long ago, but came back to life with orderly crowds for events in early October.

Here's some of his reporting:

"Itaewon’s normally bustling bar streets were deserted early in the pandemic in 2020. But the city has come roaring back to life in recent months as social distancing rules and travel restrictions have been eased. On Oct. 15^th and 16^th, the Itaewon Global Village Festival returned after a two-year hiatus, and was thronged with people, food stands and cultural performances.

"The crowds were well-managed with barriers separating Itaewon’s main streets into two directions for pedestrian traffic. On Oct. 8^th, spectators lined the banks of the Han River that flows east to west through the city, to watch the Seoul International Fireworks Festival. The huge crowds at that event were orderly, with medical teams and ambulances standing by in case of emergencies."

Itaewon, the trendy hub for foreigners and foreign cuisine, started out as a town with bars and restaurants for American soldiers working at the nearby U.S. military base during the Korean War. The base served as the headquarters for U.S. military forces in South Korea until 2018, according to the U.S. Forces Korea.

Now, Itaewon is known for its nightlife, tourists and residents — and a popular destination for young patrons who flock to the area during Halloween and other seasonal festivities.

Some 100,000 people were estimated to have passed through the neighborhood on Saturday night to celebrate Halloween — the largest crowd seen in the area since the start of the pandemic.

Young people typically dress up in costumes and visit bars, nightclubs, and restaurants, many of which host special events for the occasion. An episode of Itaewon Class, a popular Korean TV show released in 2020 and available on Netflix, showed what a Halloween night out looks like in Itaewon, with the main characters dressed up in costumes and wearing face paint.

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A survivor with the surname Kim described people toppling "like dominos" after being pushed by others, the AP reported. He was trapped for about an hour and a half before being rescued, he said, while those around him shouted for help and struggled to breathe.

Another survivor, named Lee Chang-kyu, said he saw about five to six men push others before one or two began falling, according to a Seoul-based newspaper.

The AP also reports that the news channel YTN featured an interview with Hwang Min-hyeok, a visitor to Itaewon, who said he saw rows of bodies near the hotel. He said emergency workers were initially overwhelmed, leaving pedestrians struggling to administer CPR to the injured lying on the streets. People wailed beside the bodies of their friends, he said.

Another survivor, who was in his 20s, said he avoided being trampled by managing to get into a bar whose door was open at the alley, Yonhap news agency reported.

The AP has counted more than 25 deadly crowd stampedes over the last few decades.

It was just earlier this month that another made headlines. More than 120 people diedof suffocation or trampling after crowds pushed through the gates of a soccer stadium in Indonesia.

But for South Korea, this stampede will go down as the country's deadliest. In 2005, 11 people were killed and 50 more were injured at a holiday concert after a crowd of roughly 5,000 surged through gates at a stadium in Sangju.

But the Itaewon stampede is eliciting comparisons to another deadly event in recent South Korean history: a 2014 ferry accident that left over 300 dead. As with yesterday's tragedy, many of the victims were teenagers.

The ferry accident, which was found to be the result of overloaded cargo, ignited calls for safety reform in a country that's been accused of putting profit over people.

We don't know yet what kind of safety measures were in place for the Halloween events in Itaewon.

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World leaders are offering their condolences and support to the people of Seoul. At least 15 foreigners were among the 149 reported dead, according to Seoul's fire department, but their nationalities are still unknown.

France's President Emmanuel Macron:

“Heartfelt thoughts for the residents of Seoul and for the entire Korean people after the tragedy at Itaewon. France is by your side."

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak:

"Horrific news from Seoul tonight. All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte:

"Shocked and saddened by the news of the tragic incident in #Seoul that claimed the lives of so many Koreans. My thoughts go out to the people of South Korea and especially to the families who lost loved ones today."

It's just past 9:00 AM in Seoul, and light has broken over Itaewon, where emergency workers deployed from around the country are still gathered in the district. Many of them are in a temporary medical center, where families too have started to gather, according to other media reports.

NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports that, despite the tragedy, partying continuedon the side streets of Itaewon well into the morning.

Here's a look at what was left behind:

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Getty Images AsiaPac

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Getty Images AsiaPac

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There are 19 severely injured victims in the hospital, all of whom were taken there after they received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Based on this, Choi Seong-beom, chief of the Yongsan fire department, said it is possible that more deaths will be recorded.

It had earlier been reported that about 150 people had been injured, but Choi said there was a mix-up in the data.

Choi was not able to give a more detailed update on the statuses of those who are severely injured.

President Joe Biden has issued the following statement on the tragedy:

"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured. The Alliance between our two countries has never been more vibrant or more vital – and the ties between our people are stronger than ever. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time."

Choi Seong-beom, Seouls' fire department chief, confirmed in a press conference that most of the victims killed or injured in the stampede were in their teens and 20s.

The ages of the victims are likely to prompt comparisons to another deadly South Korean disaster — a ferry sinking that occurred in April 2014, leaving 304 people dead. The majority of the victims were high school students, according to the AP.

As of 5 p.m. ET, or 6 a.m. in Seoul, 149 people had died and 76 suffered injuries, according to Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Youngsan fire department.

Two foreigners died, and of the injured victims, 15 are foreigners, Seong-beom said.

If you're just joining us, here's a quick recap on what we know so far:

A crowd of an estimated 100,000 people — many of them young — were celebrating Halloween in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, South Korea. At approximately 10 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET), the crowd surged down a narrow alley near a major party spot, the Hamilton Hotel, leading people to topple over each other and trapping partygoers for hours.

The Associated Press reports that 146 are dead and another 150 are injured.

More than 1,700 response personnel from across the country were deployed to the streets to help the wounded, including about 520 firefighters, 1,100 police officers and 70 government workers.

You can read the full story here.

And here's some of what we don't know:

1. The exact cause of the crowd surge
2. The number of patients in critical condition

I'm Emily Olson, an NPR digital reporter based in Washington, D.C. NPR's Ashley Ahn will also be reporting today and International Correspondent Anthony Kuhn, who is based in Seoul, will be sharing updates as well.

Thanks for following our coverage.

Halloween celebrations turned deadly in the capital of South Korea, where a stampede broke out in a popular nightlife area. The Associated Press reports at least 146 people were killed and 150 others injured.

Seoul's Itaewon district is known for its multicultural flavor, and crowds of Halloween revelers appeared to be the biggest since the start of the pandemic.

Local media report that the stampede started in narrow alleys filled with bars and restaurants off the main street.

Authorities mobilized ambulances from around the nation and set up a temporary medical center.

Pictures from the scene showed first responders taking the dead and injured away on stretchers, while covered bodies lay in the street.

President Yoon Suk Yeol convened a meeting and ordered officials to deploy emergency personnel, secure hospital beds and treat the injured. 

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon cut short a trip to Europe to return home.