KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Several Malaysians were caught up in the crowd crush that killed 155 people and injured scores more in Seoul on Saturday night.
Tens of thousands of young people had descended onto the narrow streets and alleyways of the popular district Itaewon filled with bars and restaurants to celebrate Halloween, excited to party again after strict Covid regulations in the country.
While no official Malaysian casualties have been reported from the incident, the Malaysians who spoke to The Star said that they felt it had been a close shave.
The national daily reported that among the crowd was 32-year-old Malaysian, Aziani Ashary, who managed to leave the area before the situation grew dangerous. She currently lives in South Korea working as a freelance travel agent.
“I went to Itaewon with a friend from the United Kingdom to witness the Halloween celebration on Saturday night.
“We were there (in the alley). Fortunately, we managed to leave before the overcrowding got worse. No one expected this to happen.
“Some of them pushed back against the crowd angrily. There was absolutely no crowd control in Itaewon that night,” Aziani said, adding that she could barely breathe when she tried to claw her way out from the crowd.
The day after the tragedy, Aziani visited Itaewon again to find the alley was still blocked off by authorities.
She said that family members and reporters could be seen at the memorial and mourning space for the victims.
“I can feel the sadness. It’s such an unexpected tragedy,” she said.
Another Malaysian, who wanted to be known only as Chong, was also in Itaewon to celebrate Halloween but turned back when he saw the number of people in the area.
“The first thing on my mind was ‘Oh my God, we need to get out of here now!’” the 30-year-old university student said.
“My friends and I were trying to reach a bar in Itaewon, but the way was blocked by a huge crowd. We saw police and the army surrounding the place and also some people lying on the ground.
“The people in front of us shouted at us to turn back as the street was closed. We managed to slip through the crowd to get to the main road.
“However, there were still a number of people heading to the blocked path despite the overcrowding,” he said, adding that they were there for an hour from 10pm.
Tourist Abdul Wafi Shaik Abdul Rahman, 27, who was just 3km away from Itaewon, said almost every tourist attraction in the city saw a huge wave of people that night.
When the news of the crowd surge in Itaewon broke out, he was worried the same would happen in the popular shopping district Myeongdong he was visiting.
“The people in South Korea are mourning and they are very upset that this happened. Everyone here is talking about it,” Abdul Wafi told The Star.
South Korean authorities are investigating the crowd surge that killed at least 155 partygoers in Seoul, with most of the victims in their teens or 20s.
