Pinay in South Korea shares having 'rough' night after witnessing Itaewon stampede

A Filipina working in South Korea on Monday said she had a "rough" night after witnessing the stampede that killed at least 154 people over the weekend.

In an interview on Unang Balita, Kathleen Laspoña said she is still processing what she had witnessed during the Halloween party on the streets of Seoul's Itaewon district last Saturday.

"Akala ko nung una, okay lang kasi nung first night after the incident may kasama naman akong umuwi but last night, nahirapan lang nang kaunti matulog kasi parang sa movie 'pag napapikit ka parang naalala mo 'yung mga katawan ng mga dinadala nung nire-rescue na s'ya," she shared.

"Medyo rough last night pero hopefully it will be better," Laspoña added.

(At first, I thought I was okay because I was with my friend the first night after the incident. But last night, I had a hard time falling asleep because every time I closed my eyes, there were flashbacks of what I saw during the incident. It was rough last night but hopefully it will get better.)

Laspoña said there was no official street party organized along the narrow alleys of Itaewon, but young people flocked to the individual pubs, clubs and stores as everyone was so excited to spend the night for what they call a "No Mask Halloween."

Laspoña said said at around 9:20 p.m. last Saturday, the Itaewon subway station was already so crowded that she had a hard time exiting the terminal.

The streets were blocked by the crowd and there was no signal in the area, she added.

"Nu'ng una pa lang, nung paakyat pa lang kami parang hindi na maganda 'yung feeling kasi parang shoulder to shoulder na 'yung lakad. So nung paakyat pa lang sa main alley, medyo struggling na s'ya," Laspoña said.

"Tina-try kong kontakin 'yung mga friends ko and nag-send sila ng location sa akin. Napunta kami doon sa kabilang side which I felt like parang blessing na rin s'ya kasi little did I know nag-start na pala magbuo don sa left side," she added.

(When we were heading to our friends' destination, I was already sensing that something bad might happen because the crowd was already shoulder to shoulder and we were struggling when we were traversing the streets. I tried to contact my friends and they sent me their locations. However, we were drifted away by the sea of people. I felt that it was a blessing in disguise because little did I know, the incident was already happening on the other side.)

When they were pushed away by the crowd, Laspoña said they decided not to meet their friends anymore and proceeded to the main highway so they wouldn't be trapped in the pack of young people along the narrow streets.

"After namin maanod literally sa kabilang side, nag-decide na ako, sabi ko doon sa kasama ko, nung hindi na namin kayang bumalik that way, sabi ko pumunta na tayo sa highway. So sa highway na kami dumaan like literal na kasabay ang mga sasakyan kasi sabi ko I don't feel right about it," she said.

When they were about to leave Itaewon, Laspoña said they already heard reports that there were at least 50 people who died from the stampede.

But she said she was surprised that the reported death toll had reached over a hundred.

"Nagulat po ako sa dami na. Kasi nung nandoon kami bago pa kami umuwi, there were reports na nasa 50 'yung head count nung death. So ngayon, nakakakilabot na until ngayon nanunuod ako nasa 154 so far," she said.

(I was surprised by the official death toll because before we left Itaewon, there were reports that the number of deaths was at 50. It is horrible because right now, the death toll has already reached 154.)

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo already vowed a thorough investigation into the Halloween crush over the weekend, according to a Reuters report.

Officials said 154 had been killed and 149 injured, with 33 people in serious condition.

Tens of thousands of partiers 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. Many of the revelers were in their teens and dressed in costumes.

But chaos erupted when people poured into one particularly narrow and sloping alley, even after it was already packed, witnesses said.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has already declared a period of national mourning and designated Itaewon a disaster zone. —KBK, GMA News