Halloween stampede that killed 158 folks is now a recreation in Korea, ‘Itaewon crush’ traits on TikTok

In a disturbing pattern, youngsters in South Korea are turning the tragic October 29 stampede that killed 158 folks within the capital Seoul in the course of the Halloween pageant right into a recreation. There has been a pointy enhance in trending posts with the hashtags “Itaewon Game” or “Itaewon Crush Game” on social media platforms common amongst youngsters, corresponding to TikTok.

The recreation entails quite a few faculty youngsters mendacity on high of one another to kind a stack, and the one on the underside wins based mostly on how many individuals she or he can endure on high of their physique.

The identical recreation has been round for over a decade in South Korea below a number of names such because the Pass-out Challenge, Hamburger Game, and Sandwich Game. The Itaewon tragedy, through which 158 folks have been killed in one among Seoul’s best stampedes, has given it a brand new title and enhanced its reputation. Children in South Korean elementary, center, and excessive colleges have now renamed the sport “The Itaewon Game,” and they’re taking part in it with renewed enthusiasm by mimicking the catastrophe.

Talking concerning the recreation, one center faculty scholar in Seoul stated, “The video of the tragedy spread through social media, so this ‘Hamburger Game’ is now being played as if to mimic the Itaewon tragedy.” A highschool scholar from Seoul shared the main points of the sport and stated, “The kids move all the desks and chairs to the side, and they play the game of squishing one kid by having ten people on top of them. This is done every break time. I was really shocked to see that kids would play the ‘Hamburger Game’ and call it the Itaewon Crush Game.”

Other college students posted on social media as effectively, saying, “When we are getting lunch, kids shout ‘Push, push’ and mimic the Itaewon tragedy. A group of kids picks on a student by crushing them with the ‘Hamburger Game’ as to bully them.” 

Meanwhile, as the sport that imitates the tragedy of the Itaewon stampede is gaining reputation in South Korea, dad and mom have raised considerations that it might turn into one more type of bullying that would result in fatalities. Notably, within the yr 2011, a center faculty scholar was allegedly killed whereas taking part in this recreation after being crushed by a bunch of scholars who have been deliberately taking part in the sport to bully the scholar.

On November 8, the Korean Association of Teachers of Media Literacy (Katom) issued catastrophe media use suggestions for lecturers and most people.

“If children and teenagers play a game mimicking an incident, there is a high risk that it will lead to a big safety-related accident as they are not properly aware of the risk,” the affiliation stated.
 
Some consultants opined that college students have to be guided on the way to react to public catastrophes. “Perverse actions like the Hamburger Game spread among teenagers via social media or other media outlets. We should educate students to grow critical thinking skills,” stated Lee Chang Ho, a senior researcher on the National Youth Policy Institute. 

Stampede throughout Halloween in Seoul, South Korea left 158 folks lifeless

On Saturday evening (October 29), one of many bloodiest stampedes in South Korean historical past occurred in Seoul. According to experiences, over 100,000 folks congregated within the Itaewon district’s slender alleyways to have a good time Halloween. People sought to flee the suffocating mob trapped within the slender, sloping street however ended up stacking on high of each other, resulting in the catastrophe.

The accident killed 158 folks and injured many extra. By October 30, Seoul authorities had acquired 355 experiences of lacking folks.

Multiple movies had surfaced on social media which confirmed bystanders offering Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to the victims. Dead our bodies of victims have been seen positioned side-by-side on the sting of the street.

Following the tragedy, nationwide mourning was declared on Sunday (October 30) by President Yoon Suk Yeol who ordered South Korean flags to be raised at half-mast in public places of work and authorities buildings.