Janelle Story was one of thousands of young people who went to Seoul’s Itaewon district to celebrate Halloween last night.

She and her friends had specifically booked an organised bar crawl because “we knew it was going to be crowded”.

South Korea stampede live updates

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

She describes how she emerged from the first bar at 9.30pm, about an hour before the crush happened, to scenes that already felt uncomfortable, but an hour later it was a very different story.

“Very suddenly this wave of people just came rushing towards us with this incredible force and urgency, and in the moment, I stopped filming because it got really serious and scary.”

“I felt panic because I don’t like crowds, so I was panicked, and I saw some panicked faces coming towards us because it’s scary, it would take a second for you to fall down.”

What she experienced wasn’t even in the narrow alley where people lost their lives, but one of the wider adjoining streets, a sign of just how chaotic the area had become.

She says the only police uniform she saw in the run up was someone in fancy dress.

Read more: What we know so far about the South Korea crowd crush that left dozens dead

“It’s distressing, it’s confusing, I still have a lot of questions,” she added.

“It wasn’t an unexpected huge event, the city knew there was going to be 100,000 people coming out tonight, it’s the first time since COVID we could actually go out and have a Halloween night!”

“How did this happen, where was the prevention?”

Related posts:

Close associate of Italy’s ex-PM Berlusconi cleared of negotiating with mafia after bombings History made as first player wins Australian Open on home soil in 44 years Pregnant New Zealand journalist says she’s had to turn to Taliban for help after being denied entry to home country UK to deploy troops across Europe as fears grow Russia will choose ‘path of bloodshed’ by invading Ukraine At least eight killed and 20 injured in Serbia coal mine incident Mid-air collision of two South Korean air force planes kills four Sri Lanka could descend into ‘anarchy’ as it ‘risks running out of food and fuel’ Johnson & Johnson to end global sales of talc-based baby powder Gunman who tried to rob Beirut bank to get his trapped savings surrenders after hostage stand-off Gunman kills 10, including two children, in rampage through quiet Montenegro streets ‘An assault on freedom of thought and speech’: World reacts after author Rushdie stabbed on stage British man accused of murdering terminally ill wife in Cyprus ‘depressed and anxious’ as trial begins