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SEOUL, March 26
(Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people on Sunday crowded to an amusement park
in the South Korean capital of Seoul for free admission, causing a stampede that
injured 35 people.
Some 50,000 visitors, most of which are teenagers,
were gathering around the area near the Lotte World in southeast Seoul earlier
Sunday for entering the park, according to local TV station YTN.
Sunday is the first day of the park's six-day event
to grant free entry and access to all rides to the first 35,000 visitors.
The stampede occurred when the opening time of the
park was approaching.
The 35 injured, mostly teenagers, were rushed to a
nearby hospital, said YTN.
Television footage showed crowed people were
screaming and shouting when the accident suddly occurred.
Moreover, those who did not get permission to enter
the park abreacted their anger by hitting advertisement of the park, the
television footage showed.
Shortly after the stampede, police dispatched 400
officers to the site to control the situation.
The Lotte World said it had placed 210 private safety
guards and established safety measures in cooperation with related authorities,
but police said the organizers did not request help.
The incident forced the park to cancel the free entry
event, according to a notice posted on the park's website.
The Lotte World decided to offer the event as an
apology for the accidental death early this month of a man riding a roller
coaster at the park.
The Lotte World, which opened in July 12, 1989, has
claimed it is the world biggest indoor amusement park with some 115,284 square
meters large. It receives some 8 million visitors from South Korea and the world
every year. Enditem
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