More than 16 people are feared dead after a ventilation grate collapsed during a concert in South Korea. The grate collapsed during the concert, sucking people into the hole. Officers on the ground warn that the death toll may rise.
Official reports from the emergency fire department report that the ventilation grate collapsed and the group of concert goers dropped an incredible 10 meters, about 33 feet, into the darkness below. 16 people have been confirmed dead with 11 injured.
Twelve people were killed at the scene of the accident, two others died while being rushed to the hospital. The others died while receiving treatment. Rescue workers say that the figure may rise, questioning South Korea's safety standards.
South Korean Eye witness accounts at the scene of the accident paint a gory portrait. There was a sudden, loud screaming, and when I turned it looked as if people were being sucked down into a hole," one eyewitness stated in the YTN news channel.
The concert was held outdoors during the performance of the popular South Korean all girl band 4Minute. About 700 people attended the concert. In the dense crowd, many people went up the ventilation shaft to get a clearer picture of the whole performance. The grate then collapsed under their weight.
The rescue workers' immediate task was to save the lives of the already injured. The bodies of those who'd already died were put aside.
A Seongnam official reported the whole incident on national television. The official, however, did not provide his name. Other media reports from eye witnesses state that most of the victims were female students. The reports are yet to be confirmed.
South Korean safety standards have come under sharp criticism lately, especially after the Sewol ferry disaster that claimed the lives of 300 citizens six months ago. Many critics claim the country's safety standards have taken a backseat to the bludgeoning economic growth of the state.
