– It was just luck that we turned around – news 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 news 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. In the end, the crowd is said to 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. 153 people have been confirmed dead and almost as many injured after the Halloween tragedy in South Korea’s capital. Read also: Nordmann confirmed his death in the stampede in Seoul – Sent a message to my mother quite quickly – 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 four ambulances on the street waiting. – 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 stuck, says Solberg Svendsen. She has been on exchange in South Korea from the University of Agder since August, and 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. Injured people were helped in one of the streets of Seoul. Photo: KIM HONG-JI / Reuters – Someone who screamed Stian Nyblom also ended up in the middle of the chaos on Saturday evening. He says he got the feeling that something was going to happen. – We were quite quick to get away from the crowd because even then people started to fall and some screamed, he says. Nyblom is on exchange in Seoul, and says the Halloween tragedy happened in an area known to be populated. – It is one of the more popular places to party. If there is something special going on, there are quite a few people there. But there has never been a crowd like this before, he says. Nyblom says he was surprised that the guards in the area allowed cars to drive through the crowd. It must have led to the ambulances being blocked. – I think it was strange that they didn’t stop the traffic and let people have more space, he says. Emilie Skålvik had also made the trip to experience the atmosphere. – The area is very famous for its Halloween celebrations. So that’s probably why a lot of people came to Itaewon this weekend to celebrate, she says. She says mobile phone coverage and internet access got worse and worse. – You stand close together, shoulder to shoulder. We didn’t have very good mobile coverage, but when we got back to the flat I sent a message to my mother that I was safe, she says. People stood close together during the Halloween celebration on Saturday night. Norwegian Stian Nyblom ended up in the middle of the chaos. Photo: Stian Nyblom At least one Norwegian among the dead The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms to news 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 news. 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 seven students from UiA in South Korea. Four of them in Seoul, and all have been accounted for, she says. Rector at the University of the South East, Petter Aasen, says they have no students in South Korea. – We have research collaboration with South Korea but no active exchange agreements, he says. Kine Solberg Svendsen and friends in South Korea. Photo: Private



ttn-69