A man pays tribute near the scene of the stampede during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, October 30, 2022. (Photo: Reuters)

Tens of thousands of party-goers had crowded into narrow streets and alleyways of Seoul's popular Itaewon district on Saturday for the first virtually unrestricted Halloween festivities in three years. But chaos erupted when people poured into one particularly narrow and sloping alley, even after it was already packed, witnesses said.

"The government will undertake a thorough investigation into what caused this accident and do its best to make necessary institutional changes so that such an accident is not repeated," Prime Minister Han said as government officials met on the disaster.

The disaster is the country's deadliest since a 2014 ferry sinking that killed 304 people, mainly high school students.