At least 151 dead and dozens injured after being crushed in a large crowd during Halloween festivities in South Korea: reports

• Roughly 151 died and dozens more were injured following a crowd surge in South Korea, per AP.
• The incident happened during Halloween festivities in Seoul in a popular nightlife district.

At least 151 people were left dead on Saturday after a crowd surge at a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea, according to The Associated Press.

Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, said 82 others were injured after partying in the Itaewon-dong district, according to the report. Of the injured, 19 people remain in serious condition and are receiving emergency treatment.

Hundreds of first responders arrived to help the injured people at the scene, AP reported, which witnesses described to the BBC as "completely out of control."

Per The Independent, initial reports noted that the surge happened after news spread of a celebrity at a bar in the nightlife hub.

A video posted online shows medics scrambling to help those who collapsed. According to the BBC, approximately 100,000 people were in the area, marking the first large gathering with no masks since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photos from the tragedy depicted remnants of victims' costumes and emergency responders trying to attend to the crowd, while witnesses described mayhem.

Per the reports, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for the treatment of those who sustained injuries and to review the safety of the festivities.

"I feel heavy hearted and cannot contain my sadness as a president responsible for the people's lives and safety," AP reported Yoon said during a speech that also announced a national period of mourning for what has become South Korea's worst disaster in years.

This story has been updated with additional information.