– It was just luck that we turned around – NRK Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
– It was complete chaos. Impossible to get anywhere. You had to push to get ahead, says Kine Solberg Svendsen to NRK the following day.
On her way up the stairs from the Metro in central Seoul, she quickly understood that something was wrong.
Large crowds were out in the South Korean capital to celebrate Halloween.
Several hundred people were crowded together in a narrow street.
Eventually, the crowd must have become so great that people panicked and trampled over each other in an attempt to get away.
At least 153 people have been confirmed dead.
– People were revived on the streets, people were dying, says Solberg Svendsen.
The Norwegian student says that at first it was impossible to turn around, because there were so many people in the streets.
– We got 20 meters up the street before we had to turn around. The police cordoned off, paramedics came running downstairs with stretchers. There were fire ambulances on the street waiting.
Injured people were helped in one of the streets of Seoul.
Photo: KIM HONG-JI / Reuters
– Sent a message to my mother quite quickly
– The police tried to get people to turn around, and it was just luck that we turned around when we did. Otherwise, we would have been seated quickly, says Solberg Svendsen.
She says all her Norwegian friends are safe after the incident.
– I sent a message to my mother quite quickly after I heard that someone had died. She thanked me for telling her that I was safe.
At least one Norwegian among the dead
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms to NRK on Sunday morning that at least one Norwegian is among the dead. The next of kin have been notified.
They are now working closely with the embassy in Seoul to get an overview of the situation.
– It has been, and probably still is, quite chaotic, says spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ane Haavardsdatter Lunde, to NRK.
There are, among other things, several Norwegian students in South Korea. Universities are now working to check if any of their students are affected.
Rector Sunniva Whittaker at the University of Agder says they have not heard that the deceased is a student with them.
– We have 7 students from UiA and all of them are in Seoul. We are working hard to get in touch with them, I don’t have the full overview yet, she says.