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Aussie killed in Halloween stampede as friend reveals harrowing detail: 'Slow and agonising'

A Sydney man has described the moment his friend was "crushed" to death after a Halloween party spiralled out of control in South Korea.

More than 153 people were killed during the stampede in Seoul on Saturday night including a 23-year-old woman from Australia.

Her friend, Nate Taeveniti, said they were celebrating her 24th birthday in Itaewon, a popular party district.

“I was there when she said she couldn’t breathe and I grabbed one of my friend’s hands,” the tearful man told TikTok viewers in a video which has since been viewed 6.6 million times.

“Two of them are in critical conditions and one of them has unfortunately passed away.”

Nate Taverniti crying.
Nate Taverniti said he was there when his friend couldn't breath and tried to grab her hands. Source: Nine News

'Nobody was willing to help'

Despite reports of a stampede that occurred when a huge crowd swelled in an alley, Mr Taeveniti said “it was a slow and agonising crush.”

“This crush was not caused by drunk people,” he explained.

“It is a lack of planning police force, emergency services and no body was willing to help.”

“I watched as people filmed and sang and laughed while my friends were dying along with many other people.”

In the clip, which is titled “I was there at Itaewon as my friends were crushed, this is their story, people need to know what happened,” Mr Taeveniti went on to detail how he tried to save his friends.

“I was there trying to pull people out because there was not enough police officers and nobody was doing anything to make the crowd stop,” he said, adding that it took half an hour for police to arrive.

"There were people lying on the ground getting CPR, not by health professionals, by random people. Whoever could.

“My friends were being crushed in front of me and I couldn't do anything about it.

“I am sad, I am devastated at this situation which could have so easily been avoided.”

Nate Taeveniti and two of his friends dressed up for Halloween (left) and a message from his TikTok video (right).
In an other TikTok video, Mr Taeveniti said he was angered and 'at a loss' following he tragedy in Seoul. Source: TikTok

Mr Taverniti said he looked for her body for hours.

"I don't know where she is ... Next week's her birthday," he told the local Yonhap News Agency.

She would have turned 24 next week.

'I am at a loss'

In another video, Mr Taeveniti shared footage of his friends dressed up as characters in black before they headed out for the night.

“This was how our night was supposed to be,” he wrote in a caption.

“Fun, happy and free.

“It ended with two of my friends in hospital and one passed away.

“I am sad, I am angered, I am at a loss.”

Nate Taeveniti.
A tearful Nate Taeveniti says he was there when his friends were crushed in the incident in Seoul. Source: TikTok

Meanwhile a Western Australian woman living in Seoul has described how she and her friends narrowly escaped the deadly crush.

"It was really hard, I had bruises on my arms from trying to manoeuvre out," Olivia Jacovic, 27, told Nine News.

"It as just shoulder-to-shoulder, people couldn't breathe, the shorter people were trying to look up in the air to get some air.

"I just wanted to get out of there."

Olivia Jacovic (left) and the crowd (right).
West Aussie Olivia Jacovic says the crowd was 'shoulder-to-shoulder' and people couldn't breathe. Source: Facebook/Twitter

Death toll rising

While officials have listed the death toll at 153, the South Korean government warns it could rise even further with 133 people injured.

37 of those are in a serious condition.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety says among the dead, 80 per cent were in theirs 20s and 30s, while at least four were teenagers.

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