SOUTH KOREA: Fans at South Korea pop concert plunge into ventilation shaft, 16 dead

Record ID: 216620

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Fans at South Korea pop concert plunge into ventilation shaft, 16 dead
  • Date: 17th October 2014
  • Summary: SEONGNAM, SOUTH KOREA (OCTOBER 17, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERED AT SITE OF THE ACCIDENT VIEW OF VENTILATION SHAFT CITY OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING VARIOUS OF VENTILATION SHAFT VARIOUS OF CITY OFFICIALS AND FIREFIGHTERS STANDING UNDER TENT CHOI YOUNG-GYUN , HEAD OF BUNDANG FIRE DEPARTMENT, TALKING ON PHONE BOARD DESCRIBING DETAILS OF ACCIDENT (SOUNDBITE) (Korean
  • Embargoed: 1st November 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Accidents,Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA34QJ8YQKP53UMP99KM16D6CZ0
  • Story Text: Sixteen people were killed at a open-air pop concert in South Korea on Friday (October 17) when the cover of a ventilation shaft they were standing on gave way, officials said.
    It was the latest in a string of accidents in South Korea, including the sinking of a ferry in April in which more than 300 people were killed, that has raised questions about safety and put pressure on authorities to tighten up standards.
    "Many people were standing on the cover (of a ventilation shaft) and it caused the collapse of the cover. During the incident, the cover and many people fell underground. During the fall, many people died or were injured," said Choi Yong-gyun, head of the Bundang Fire Department.
    He then added that sixteen people had been killed and ten critically injured.
    About 25 people at the K-Pop concert fell more than 10 metres (32 feet) into the ventilation system when the cover they were standing on to get a better view of the stage gave way, Yonhap news agency and YTN television said.
    One woman at the concert said she saw a cloud of dust rise up when the ventilation shaft collapsed.
    "I was watching (the concert) for about twenty minutes when there was a sudden collapse, raising a cloud of dust. Then I heard a woman scream. At that moment, I realised it was a big accident, so I called the fire department on 119," said 59-year-old Yoo Seong-soon.
    About 700 people were at the concert near a shopping mall where the group 4Minute was performing. The group features the singer and dancer Hyuna, who shot to fame after performing in the "Gangnam Style" music video by the South Korean rapper Psy.
    South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and one of its leading manufacturing and export powerhouses, has developed into one of the world's most technically advanced countries, but faces criticism that regulatory controls have not kept pace.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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