Global mass gathering events and deaths due to crowd surge, stampedes, crush and physical injuries – Lessons from the Seoul Halloween and other disasters

This paper explores one of the worst stampede disasters in South Korea, which caused 156 deaths and crush injuries in 170, which occurred on October 29, 2022, during celebrations for Halloween.

Whilst the specific underlying factors leading to this tragedy is being determined; initial reports point towards inadequacies in pre and during-event planning, risk assessment, anticipated hazards, police response, and absence of effective rapid emergency response mechanisms, crowd management strategies and non-structural risk reduction measures.

Whilst overcrowding, crowd surges due to unexpected events and stampede-associated crush injuries and deaths are well recognised as one of the most major non-communicable public health hazards at mass gathering events, the South Korean Halloween night tragedy highlights that the current knowledge and understanding of these disasters is inadequate.