![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/you-cant-come-people-are-dying-witnesses-recount-the-horror-of-the-seoul-stampede/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/maxresdefault-10.jpg&description=Nathan Taverniti and his three friends started fearing for their lives at around 10pm on Saturday night as they began being pushed by uncontrolled surges of a huge crowd arriving for Halloween celebrations in Seoul's trendy Itaewon district. "I was there at the front [of the crowd], at a T-intersection. There were already so many people in front of me. A group of girls fell down and a group of people were trying to help them up. But there were waves of people coming in from both sides," the Australian tourist said of the terrifying opening moments of the tragedy that has so far claimed 153 lives. "I turned around and told the crowd, you can't come this way, people are dying, because I already knew how bad it was and people were being so rude and I had to tell them you can't come this way." In the mayhem, Mr Taverniti lost sight of his female friend Grace, 23, and two other young partygoers. He managed to crawl free of the deadly stampede and searched frantically for them. Two emerged injured and are now in hospital, but Grace did not make it. "It took another few hours until I saw my friend and she was dead. And nobody wanted to help me," he said, breaking down in sobs. Next week would have been her birthday. Mr Taveniti's devastation was replicated in families across South Korea and around the world on Sunday after one of the most tragic events the country has witnessed in recent years. At least 153 people died and 82 were injured after becoming trapped in the narrow streets of Itaewon, a district known for its neon-lit nightlife and annual Halloween celebrations. Most of the victims were in their teens or twenties. Many were women. Among them were 19 foreign nationals from countries including the United States, Australia, China, Iran, Norway and Uzbekistan. As world leaders from around the world sent messages of support, South Korea launched an investigation into how an event that should have been a carefree Saturday night out ended up costing so many young){kind=link}
Tragedy which unfolded in the narrow alleys of the Itaewon district has so far claimed the lives of at least 153 people
Nathan Taverniti and his three friends started fearing for their lives at around 10pm on Saturday night as they began being pushed by uncontrolled surges of a huge crowd arriving for Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s trendy Itaewon district.
“I was there at the front [of the crowd], at a T-intersection. There were already so many people in front of me. A group of girls fell down and a group of people were trying to help them up. But there were waves of people coming in from both sides,” the Australian tourist said of the terrifying opening moments of the tragedy that has so far claimed 153 lives.
“I turned around and told the crowd, you can’t come this way, people are dying, because I already knew how bad it was and people were being so rude and I had to tell them you can’t come this way.”
In the mayhem, Mr Taverniti lost sight of his female friend Grace, 23, and two other young partygoers. He managed to crawl free of the deadly stampede and searched frantically for them. Two emerged injured and are now in hospital, but Grace did not make it.