Concert stampede kills at least 11 in South Korea

South Korean fans trying to enter a stadium for a music concert today sparked a stampede, killing at least 11 and injuring 50 others, a city official said.

The accident occurred at about 9.40am Irish time in the city of Sangju, 165 miles southeast of Seoul, when 20,000 people were waiting to enter a stadium for a concert that had been organised by a local television network, said Kim Sung-in, an official with the city government’s disaster management division.

Kim said 11 people had died when one of the gates opened to let the audience inside and that the number could rise by another one or two. The stadium could accommodate 20,000 people, and the event has now been cancelled, he said.

South Korea’s YTN news channel reported that nine victims identified so far ranged from a seven-year-old boy to a 72-year-old woman. Those of the dead whose names were released were all either in their 50s or older, or children younger than 14.

The concert had been set to begin at 11am Irish time and was part of a bicycle festival organised by the city government, Yonhap said.

The city of 120,000 people claims to have the highest per-capita bicycle ownership in South Korea and was promoting bicycle use to help the environment, according to its website.