Stampede Kills 11

At least 11 people were killed and about 50 injured October 3 when a stampede occurred at a stadium in the Korean city of Sangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

The outdoor stadium was about to present a concert of traditional Korean pop songs that are popular among the country’s elderly. It was part of a weekly television series that is broadcast nationally by the MBC network.

According to local news, the dead included women ranging in age from 54 to 76, as well as three boys aged 7, 12 and 14.

The accident occurred at 5:40 p.m. as 20,000 people were waiting to enter the stadium. The doors opened for the 7 p.m. concert and a stampede ensued. People at the front of the crowd fell and triggered a chain reaction.

The concert, which was canceled after the stampede, marked the end of a three-day festival to encourage bicycle ownership to help the environment.

— Phil Brasor