156 young adults died in a Halloween crowd crush in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 29. 

The crush took place in Itaewon, a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea. Itaewon is known as a tourist area and as well as its amusing activities and busy nightlife. Though, what’s failed to be mentioned is the immensely narrow streets and little to no escape routes in the neighborhood’s alleyways.  

For the first time since the COVID-19 Pandemic, Halloween festivities were finally opened and celebrated without masks or social distancing. This attracted over 100,000 celebrators, ready to gather in nightclubs, bars and streets. Eventually, the streets began to pack, barely giving anyone any room to move. When citizens began to realize the tight packing, they immediately contacted local police officers in distress. Unfortunately, for almost 4 hours, police officers received about 11 calls, which were not recognized or prioritized enough. Most police officers were assigned to traffic control and crime prevention. Only 137 officers were present.  The circumstances the celebrators were in became a huge risk. 

Not being able to move or escape, the crowd became uncontrollable, where many citizens fell in the crowd and began to get stepped on and “crushed”. Piles of bodies began to get stuck in between buildings. Around 156 victims were killed and at least 197 were injured. People began to slowly break away from the crowd, and others tried to perform CPR on the many unconscious bodies lying there. By the time medical assistance came, it was too late for some. 

This is not the first time a crowd rage or crush has happened. Around a year ago,  Travis Scott toured his famous Astroworld Festival. He held a concert in Houston, Texas on Nov. 5 which led to 10 dead and over 800 injuries. Many fans were overly upset about the fatal concert, since Travis Scott did not do anything in his power to stop the concert or get assistance. Though, he claims later on that he did not know about the overpacking and chaos happening in crowds, but learned about it after. Many were affected by the concert and much hatred was pointed towards Travis for not controlling the dangerous circumstances in his crowd. 

It’s not deniable that after the COVID-19 Pandemic, many young adults prance at the chance to go to concerts and celebratory events. Though, it occurs that crowds get overcrowded and leave attendees in fatal conditions. As holiday festivals and many big tours, like Taylor Swift, are occuring soon, it is important to take in consideration the safety precautions attendees could follow. Not only should the concerts be held in a wide stadium with many routes to exit, but some tips involve, recognizing quick and safe exit routes, try going to concerts that guarantee you a seat instead of raves, make sure to eat beforehand and drink lots of water to avoid passing out, if you notice an area overflowing and you start to have little to no room moving exit immediately, and lastly, just trying the best to avoid going to crowds that are known to be “hot spots”. 

“I love going to concerts,” senior Danielle Lazar said. “I love the energy in the crowds and room. But I always question before going because I’m always scared that it can get out of hand. That’s why I usually avoid going to festivals or concerts that don’t have seating since I know it could get out of hand.”

Big festivals and concerts should be monitored and have a limit of how many people can enter. Security and police officers should also be available everywhere in case of an emergency. Staying safe and taking safety precautions is an important lesson everyone should learn while attending big crowds.