![Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari speaks during a press conference in Karachi on October 15, 2022. - AFP](https://www.geo.tv/assets/uploads/updates/2022-10-30/449506_831300_updates.jpg)
- ‘With us [South Korean] Friends in this difficult time,” FM Bilawal
- 153 killed in Seoul Halloween stampede
- The incident came to light when a crowd surrounded a street.
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday expressed regret over the tragedy that occurred during the Halloween celebrations in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
At least 153 people have been killed in a stampede in Seoul’s nightlife district after a huge crowd of people celebrating Halloween spilled into a street, emergency officials said.
On Twitter, the foreign minister wrote: “The news of the tragedy in Seoul is extremely painful. We are with ourselves. [South Korean] Friends in this difficult time.”
FM Bilawal also expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of those who died in the incident.
“You are all in our thoughts and prayers,” he tweeted Saturday night in response to the tragedy.
Choi Sung-beom, chief of the Yongsan Fire Station, said in a briefing at the scene that hundreds of people were also injured in the crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district.
Officials said that many of the injured are in critical condition and are undergoing emergency treatment.
The incident took place around 10:20 pm. A large number of people fell into the street during the festivities, Choi said. Many party goers were wearing masks and Halloween costumes.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes in the moments before the stampede, with police at times having trouble controlling the crowds given the Halloween festivities.
– With additional input from writers