The Government of Nicaragua sent its condolences to South Korea this Sunday for the victims of the tragedy that occurred the day before in Seoul, when at least 154 people died and another 133 were injured in a stampede during the Halloween celebrations.
“In these moments of mourning for the people of the Republic of Korea, we convey on behalf of the people and the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity of the Republic of Nicaragua, and on our own behalf, our deepest condolences for the loss of valuable lives. and for the wounded,” said Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in a letter.
Related news: Halloween celebration leaves dead and seriously injured in South Korea
In the letter addressed to the President of the Republic of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeok, the Sandinista president asked “our almighty God to grant peace and comfort to the families who lost their loved ones and for the speedy recovery of all the wounded brothers and sisters.”
“From our Nicaragua, always blessed, always free, always in solidarity, receive our fraternal embrace, with the affection of the Nicaraguan people for the brotherly people of the Republic of Korea,” Ortega said in the letter, which he signed together with his wife, the Vice President Rosario Murillo.
The apparent stampede took place around 10:22 p.m. local time on Saturday (1:22 p.m. GMT on Saturday) near the Hamilton Hotel, opposite the Itaewon subway station.
The authorities are trying to determine the cause of the event, which according to eyewitnesses, authorities and videos published on social networks originated from an excessive accumulation of people in a narrow alley that connects the main avenue of the Itaewon neighborhood with a busy bar area.
Hundreds of people were trapped there, many of whom died of suffocation, among the thousands who came to celebrate Halloween in the area.
The authorities detailed that among the fatalities there are twenty foreigners, and mentioned among their countries of origin Australia, Austria, China, the United States, France, Iran, Kazakhstan, Norway, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
The Seoul government also reported that 355 reports of missing persons who could be linked to the event have been received, and noted that the vast majority of those who died after 9:00 p.m. on Sunday (12:00 GMT) have been identified.
