'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On October 30, Sunday, American college students Steven Blesi and Anne Gieske were identified as two of the 153 victims who died in the October 29 Itaewon Halloween stampede.
According to the New York Post, South Korean officials stated that the stampede occurred during a Halloween party in the Itaewon district, where the presence of a large number of revelers led to unsafe and cramped conditions, leading to a crowd crush.
As of now, the only American casualties identified in the Itaewon stampede are Steven Blesi and Anne Gieske. Both of the victims were aged 20.
All there is to know about Itaewon stampede victim Steven Blesi
As per Meauwww, Steven Blesi was a junior at Georgia's Kennesaw State University. He was in Seoul for a semester abroad at Hanyang University. In an interview with the New York Times, 62-year-old Steve Blesi, Steven Blesi's father, told reporters that his son aspired to engage in international business in East Asia.
The 20-year-old Blesi reportedly came across the Itaewon Halloween celebration on Saturday, after they had completed their midterms. In an interview with the Times, the victim's father described the moment he discovered his son had been killed in the attack.
He said:
“I texted him maybe a half-hour before all this happened, and I said, ‘I know you’re out and about. Be safe."
He continued:
“I never got a reply to that.”
The older Blesi said that he spent hours attempting to inquire about his son's whereabouts. He said that the US Embassy in South Korea eventually called to inform him that his son was among the victims.
He told Times reporters:
“It was like it stabbed like a hundred million times simultaneously. It was like your world just collapsing. It was numb and devastating all at the same time.”
South Korean officials reported that there may have been up to 100,000 revelers in the Itaewon district at the time of the stampede.
What we know about Anne Gieske
According to CBS, Anne Gieske is a third-year nursing student from the University of Kentucky.
A junior, she was in Seoul for one semester on a study abroad program. She was originally from Northern Kentucky. Fox reported that one day before the stampede, Gieske had been celebrating her birthday with friends.
In a WKYT article, it was stated that Gieske was a member of her university's Korean Language and Culture club.
The Club released a statement describing the 20-year-old victim.
"(She) was a very kind and outgoing person. We all feel sorry to hear about her loss and we hope that she would rest in peace."
Seoul officials reported that 26 foreigners were among the dead.
