TRAGIC ACCIDENT LEAVES OVER 300 CASUALTIES

[Anchor Lead]

The whole nation was in shock and mourning last weekend at the tragedy in Itaewon that left 303 casualties. Everyone who witnessed the tragic scene said that people were pushed in an instant and that it was like a mud slide. Those horrific moments will be rebuilt with the videos and photographs taken at the scene.

[Pkg]

The accident was first reported around 10:15 Saturday night. A narrow alleyway was packed with people and some were barely standing up by holding onto railings.

[Soundbite] Kim Hyo-won(Witness) : "People were crying out “Don’t push, don’t push” and to move forward. But even that sound was abruptly cut off and replaced by screams."

Around the same time, those who were trapped at the end of the alleyway struggled to keep moving forward.

[Soundbite] "We’ll push to the side from here, to the side."

People who were trying to walk up and down the sloped alleyway suddenly fell.

[Soundbite] (Witness(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "There was a scream and then people were piled up to here. People came down like a landslide."

Firefighters, police officers and citizens worked together to pull people out of the pile, but to no avail.

[Soundbite] (Citizen Rescuer(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "They fell like dominoes. I kept trying to rescue them but they grabbed my arms and legs."

[Soundbite] (Witness(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "I tried to pull out more people but I couldn’t do that because they were crushed under all those people. That’s what I feel most guilty about."

Survivors who barely made it out of the crush were left shocked, both psychologically and physically.

[Soundbite] Min Seong-ho(Wounded) : "I nearly died. I couldn’t breathe and felt nauseous. I was carried out because my legs were bent."

Two hellish hours later, the streets of Itaewon, once bustling with party-goers, have turned into an emergency room with dozens of people receiving CPR.