“I’m safe and I’m alive. I’m alive“, he wrote in Juliana Velandia Santaella, Mexican student who survived the stampede that took place in Seoul, South Korea during the Halloween celebration, which happened last Saturday, October 29, and in which 154 people have died so far.
It was at the end of August when Velandia Santaella, student at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC)she arrived in the Asian nation, on an exchange student semester at the Catholic University of Korea, not knowing that the experience would have one that would make her feel death up close.
“I thought I was going to die”
The young Mexican told this to different media reached the alley of the popular Itaewon districtafter taking photos in the busiest bar street, where “we all begin to fall“.
In that part, circumstances separated her from her friend, Calorina Cano, also a student at UABCin International Business, which is part of an exchange program in South Korea.
There came a moment when, due to the number of people, because they were pushing each other, he no longer felt that his feet were touching the ground.
“They started pushing, pushing, pushing us and didn’t stop. They started pushing us so much that I lost (Carolina Cano) looks. He no longer knew where he was. At one point my feet were no longer touching the ground, there were bodies under me.”
Juliana Velandia Santaella.
At one point, Velandia Santaella could only move her neck and could not breathe, because her lungs had not expanded. “The only way I could keep breathing was through my mouth.And”.
Finding herself trapped among so many people and unable to move freely, the young Mexican woman thought she was going to die. “Well, I’ll be next.”
He was able to get out of such a situation when the young man who was in the raised curtain took her by the hands and took out. A few minutes later, feeling returned to his legs.
“Friends and family, I am safe and alive. I’m alive. Here we are alive and fighting Carolina Cano”.
Juliana Velandia Santaella.
There were no Mexicans among the dead.
In this regard, the Embassy of Mexico in South Korea reported that there were no deaths of Mexicans, of the reported 154 people, of which 26 were foreigners, and 149 were injured.
“There were no Mexicans among the dead, and the embassy had contact with two Mexicans who were injured.”
Embassy of Mexico in South Korea.