From the testimonies of witnesses to the Halloween drama in the South Korean capital Seoul, it is clear how people were completely trapped in the extreme crowds. Too many people tried to squeeze through the narrow streets of Itaewon entertainment district.

Dutchman Tim van Riel studies in Seoul and lives on a side street off the street where people were oppressed en masse. He was having a Halloween party at home with friends.

“In the early evening, around eight o’clock, the streets were already very crowded. We invited a few people and said: Attention, there is a lot going on. Everyone came in groups because it used to be almost impossible to do it alone.”

As Van Riel gradually learns that getting anywhere is almost impossible, he and his friends decide to stay at home and not go to a bar or club.

“Officers on their official cars”

Another witness, Raphael Rashid, told the BBC he was in the entertainment district from 7pm local time. “It was immediately clear that there were so many people. More than I had ever seen here in Itaewon.”

“By 10 p.m. it became clear that something was going on, that it was getting out of control. The crowd was so large that people were pinned against the sidewalk. People were pushed onto the street, between the traffic.”

Rashid describes hearing more and more police, fire engines and ambulances. “Nobody knew exactly what was going on. Officers stood in their service vehicles and frantically called for people to leave the area as soon as possible.”

A witness told CNN, “I saw people walking to the left and I saw people walking to the opposite side. The people in the middle got stuck. They had no way of communicating. They couldn’t breathe.”

When Van Riel drops some people off at home later that evening, he sees the aftermath:

According to Van Riel, there should never have been so many people in the area. “There are all these little alleys here with hundreds, maybe thousands of people crammed together. I think that’s the main reason why it went so wrong. Too many people have walked through these narrow streets.”

The student compares the situation on the street to a folk festival, “where everyone has to go through one exit.

“Especially young people”

BBC reporter Hosu Lee was in Itaewon shortly after the drama. He still saw thousands of people on the streets, many police officers and several lifeless bodies under blue sheets on the main street.

“Lots of young people have gathered here tonight to party in their costumes in the clubs. The people I see now are upset and sad, and it’s still a bit messy.”