South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Monday with First Lady Kim Keon Hee the shrine honoring the victims of Seoul’s Halloween party, which left 154 people dead after a stampede developed in a narrow alley on a slope on Saturday night.
The altar was raised in front of City Hall, where the authorities laid flowers and bowed before leaving the site.
The Disaster Countermeasures and Security Headquarters has confirmed that the death toll could rise as 33 injured are in serious condition. In addition, another 116 people suffered minor injuries.
The South Korean government has declared official mourning until next Saturday for an event that has shocked the country. It is horrible, this tragedy should never have happened (…) As president, my responsibility is the safety of the lives of citizens, so my heart is heavy and I struggle to cope with this grief,» said Suk Yeol upon hearing the news.
The country has received the condolences of the international community, which has expressed its sorrow for the event that has left more than a hundred dead and many injured.
In addition, there are 26 foreigners among the victims: five Iranians, four Chinese and four Russians, two Americans, two Japanese and the rest from France, Australia, Norway, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka, according to the authorities, as reported by the Yonhap agency.
The stampede marks the worst tragedy in South Korea since the sinking of the Sewol ferry off the country’s southern coast in 2014, which killed 304 people, most of whom were high school students.
