Death toll 10 in South Korea roof collapse
Print Edition
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye called yesterday for a full investigation into the collapse of a student-packed auditorium near the southern city of Gyeongju that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 100.
More than 560 college students taking part in a freshman orientation were believed to have been attending a concert in the building when the roof caved in on Monday — apparently under the weight of heavy snow — at around 9:15pm.
It was part of a mountain resort complex near Gyeongju that experienced unusually heavy snowfall in the past week.
“It is heart-rending that so many lives were sacrificed... a thorough investigation must be carried out,” Park told a cabinet meeting.
The tragedy occurred as the country was reeling from news of the bombing of a bus laden with South Korean tourists in Egypt near the Israeli border.
Police said a suicide bomber was probably behind the attack on Sunday that killed three South Koreans and their Egyptian driver.
The resort auditorium was a pre-engineered building, assembled with rigid frames and side walls . Fire officials said the accumulated weight of the snow piled on the roof of the building appeared to have caused the structure to buckle, raising questions about its soundness.
The Ministry of Security and Public Administration said 10 people, including nine students, were confirmed dead, with two people seriously injured and 101 others who suffered “bruises and cuts.”
Parents of victims said organizers of the orientation event had failed to ensure safety.
“What on earth were they doing? They didn’t even bother to take a look at the site before pushing through with the event despite such heavy snowfalls,” a woman whose 18-year-old daughter was among the dead told Yonhap news agency.
A father recalled how he had texted his daughter a few hours before the accident to check that she was enjoying herself.
“I thought she was having so much fun that she didn’t have time to text me back... now I can’t even describe how I feel,” he said.
More than 1,400 rescuers and workers, backed by heavy equipment, worked through the night to reach the victims.
The auditorium was part of the Mauna Ocean Resort, which had been hosting the freshman orientation for 1,000 students from a foreign-language college in the southern city of Busan.
The resort owner, Kolon business group, issued a public apology over the disaster, promising full compensation and support for the victims.
A police official said a probe would begin immediately.
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