Emergency officials said a huge crowd celebrating in the popular Itaewon district surged into a narrow alleyway on Saturday night, adding the number of deaths could rise.
Most of the bodies have been sent to hospitals, while the rest are being taken to a nearby gym so that they can be identified, he added.
Footage on social media showed many victims lying on the pavement as workers from the emergency services and bystanders performed CPR in an effort to revive them. It is unclear what prompted the crowd surge, although some local media reports said a large number of people had rushed to the area after hearing an unidentified celebrity had been there.Rescue workers and firefighters try to help injured people near the scene of a crowd surge in Seoul, South KoreaPresident Yoon chaired an emergency meeting following the stampede.
Several world leaders have sent their condolences to South Korea, with US President Joe Biden saying:"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.