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King Charles III is expressing his condolences following a fatal crowd surge in South Korea over the weekend.
The new King, 73, sent a message to Yoon Suk-yeol, president of South Korea, hours after a crowd surge in Itaewon killed at least 120 people and injured 150 others on Saturday.
“Dear Mr. President,” Charles began in a statement shared by Buckingham Palace. “I wanted you to know how deeply shocked and saddened both my wife and I are to hear of the many people who have lost their loved ones as a consequence of the recent, tragic incident in Itaewon, Seoul.”
“However inadequate this may be under such heartbreaking circumstances, we extend our deepest possible sympathy to all the bereaved families,” the monarch continued, speaking on behalf of himself and Queen Camilla. “We also offer our special thoughts and wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who suffered injury.”
RELATED: At Least 120 People Killed and More Than 100 Injured in South Korea During Halloween Event
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King Charles recalled meeting Suk-yeol, 61, during his visit to London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 19. He reminded the president that “the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the people of the Republic of Korea at such a time of national mourning.”
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Following his father’s statement, Prince William also sent sympathies to everyone affected by the tragic mass casualty.
“Catherine and I send all our love and prayers to the parents, families and loved ones of those tragically lost in Seoul yesterday evening,” the Prince of Wales tweeted Sunday. He signed the post “W & C,” a personal signature for tweets composed by himself and his wife, Kate Middleton.
KIRSTY O’CONNOR/POOL/AFP via Getty Kate Middleton and Prince William
Prince Albert of Monaco also shared his condolences with the South Korean president.
“Mr. President, It is with great emotion and sadness that I learned the tragedy which took place, in the night from Saturday to Sunday in Seoul in the district of Itaewon, following a deadly crowd surge,” Albert said in the message. “In these tragic circumstances allow me, along with my family, to convey my profound solidarity and the full support of the population of the Principality of Monaco for the Korean people and finally our sincere compassion for the families of the victims.”
On Saturday, a crowd surge occurred in a narrow alley in the town of Itaewon, Seoul, killing over 100 people and injuring over 100 more, the Yongsan Fire Department chief Choi Seong-beom said, multiple outlets reported.
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis Prince Albert
The incident prompted President Yoon Suk-yeol to order his government to provide disaster medical emergency assistance, according to the BBC, The New York Times, and CNN.
According to the BBC, the popular nightlife spot reportedly drew 100,000 people for Halloween festivities, the first such event for the holiday without a face mask requirement since the pandemic began.
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Officials later responded to the area after receiving reports of people experiencing “difficulty breathing,” CNN reported.
Authorities have yet to release the cause of the incident and deaths. Meanwhile, Yonhap News Agency (via CNN) reported people were suffering from “cardiac arrest” during the stampede.
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