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Nine killed in roof collapse at South Korean resort Ten killed in roof collapse at South Korean resort
(about 7 hours later)
Nine people died when the roof of an auditorium collapsed during a welcoming ceremony for a South Korean university's new students, officials said. At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 injured when an auditorium packed with students collapsed at a resort near the southern South Korean city of Gyeongju.
The dead included seven students and an adult; the identity of the ninth victim was not yet known. About 80 people were sent to hospitals with minor injuries, according to officials at the National Emergency Management Agency. More than 560 college students attending an orientation concert were believed to have been in the building when the roof caved in on Monday – apparently under the weight of heavy snow – at about 9.15 pm (12.15 GMT).
Recent heavy snow, sleet and icy roads hampered the rescue operation. Emergency staff worked to pry students from beneath twisted metal and rushed the injured on stretchers to waiting ambulances. Officials initially estimated that 17 people were seriously injured but later said the injuries were not severe. "Ten people are confirmed dead, two were seriously injured and 101 others suffered bruises and cuts", a spokesman from the ministry of security and public administration told a press briefing in Seoul.
South Korean media reported that the heavy snowfall was believed to have resulted in the collapse, but the cause was still being investigated. All the students were believed to be accounted for, but rescuers were still searching the site on Tuesday morning for anyone still trapped inside.
About 560 students from Busan University of Foreign Studies were attending a two-day orientation at the Manua Ocean Resort in the south-eastern city of Gyeongju and were in the auditorium when the roof collapsed. Many of the students managed to get out of the building by themselves, officials said. Nine of the dead were college students, police said, adding that an event organiser was also killed.
Calls to the university and the resort were unanswered. Gyeongju is a historic city that served as the capital of one of the Korean peninsula's ancient kingdoms. It is a popular tourist destination. Located at an altitude of about 500 metres (1,640ft), the resort is at the foot of Dongdae Mountain. More than 1,400 rescuers and workers, backed by heavy equipment, worked throughout the night to clear the debris and snowfall to reach the victims.
Fire officials said the collapse appeared to have been caused by the weight of the snow which had piled up on the roof.
The auditorium was a pre-engineered building, assembled with rigid frames and side walls – of a type normally used for storage houses and aviation hangars.
"The ceiling came crashing down at the front near the stage," one student told the YTN news channel.
"Then pandemonium broke out and everyone started rushing towards the exits, shouting and screaming," he added.
Footage broadcast on YTN and pictures taken at the site by the Yonhap news agency showed fire officials searching by torchlight for people trapped in the twisted metal of the buckled building.
In one shot, rescuers could be seen trying to free a young woman pinned by a metal sheet.
The ground around the building was covered with a thick blanket of snow, which continued to fall throughout the night, hampering the rescue efforts.
The auditorium was part of the Mauna Ocean Resort, which had been hosting the orientation event for close to 1,000 students from a foreign language college in the southern city of Busan.