“Deeply saddened to learn about the tragic stampede in Seoul,” President Jokowi wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “My deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones. Indonesia mourns with the people of South Korea and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.”

The crowd surge and crush hit in the capital's popular Itaewon district, where police estimate as many as 100,000 people – mostly in their teens and 20s – went to celebrate Halloween on Saturday night, clogging the area's narrow alleyways and winding streets, AFP reported.

Korean authorities said on Sunday that at least 153 people died and 134 more were injured during the stampede, prompting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to declare a period of national mourning on Sunday, as reported by AFP. Among the 153 victims, 20 are thought to be foreign nationals, including those from the United States, Uzbekistan, Austria, Norway, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Iran and Sri Lanka. Russia said three of its nationals had died, AFP reported.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry citizen protection director Judha Nugraha told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that no Indonesian nationals were killed during the incident, but at least two were injured.

“Based on communication between the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul and local authorities and hospitals, so far there have been two Indonesian citizens with minor injuries,” Judha said, adding that the two injured Indonesians have been discharged from the hospital.

The incident, which ranks among Korea’s worst disasters, has sparked an outpouring of grief from world leaders.

Seoul's staunch ally, US President Joe Biden said in a statement on Sunday that the US “grieves with the people of the Republic of Korea.”

"[First lady] Jill [Biden] and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul,” Biden wrote, adding that he wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.

 

Some others, like Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron, took to Twitter to offer condolences and support to South Korea. Kishida said that he was "shocked and deeply saddened" by the disaster, while Macron said that France stood by Korea’s side.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has also offered his condolences to South Korea.

AFP reported that according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Xi said on Sunday that he was "shocked" to learn of the stampede. "On behalf of the Chinese government and the people of China, I express our deep condolences for the victims," Xi said.

'Unprecedentedly large'

South Korean officials said they had no clear idea of what caused the crush, while eyewitnesses described being trapped in a narrow, sloping alleyway and scrambling to get out of the suffocating crowd as people piled on top of one another, AFP reported.

Local shopkeepers told AFP that the number of people at the annual celebration was "unprecedentedly large" this year – the first event to be held without COVID-19 restrictions since the pandemic began.

"There were so many people just being pushed around and I got caught in the crowd and I couldn't get out at first too," 30-year-old Jeon Ga-eul said.

As questions began to emerge over the lack of security at the event, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min told a briefing that the police force had been occupied on the other side of town.

"I am not certain about the exact number of police personnel deployed [to Itaewon] but a considerable number had been deployed at Gwanghwamun where a large crowd was expected for a protest," he said.

Police had also not expected such a large crowd at the Halloween event, he said.

"The expected size of the crowd in Itaewon did not deviate much from the previous years, so I understand that the personnel were deployed at a similar scale as before."

Paramedics at the scene, quickly overwhelmed by the number of victims, were asking passers-by to administer first aid.

Seoul authorities said they had also received 2,642 reports for missing people, AFP reported.

The Itaewon crush has come only weeks after more than 135 Indonesians lost their lives in a deadly stadium stampede following a soccer match in Malang, East Java. Authorities have pointed to police’s firing of tear-gas canisters as the cause of the crush.

Also on Sunday, the Jakarta Police have called off the last day of a three-day music festival held in Istora Senayan, citing safety concerns amid reports of an overpacked crowd during the festival’s first two days. (dio)