A collapsed resort
building is seen in Gyeongju, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. The
roof of the resort auditorium collapsed during a welcoming ceremony for
South Korean university freshmen, killing nine and likely trapping about
10, officials said Tuesday.
— A resort auditorium's roof loaded down
with snow and rain collapsed during a welcoming ceremony for South
Korean university freshmen, killing 10 and injuring more than 100,
officials said Tuesday.
Emergency staff worked through the night to pull people from
beneath twisted metal and other debris and rush the injured on
stretchers to waiting ambulances. Snow, sleet and icy roads hampered
rescue operations.
The collapse happened Monday night. About 560 students from Busan
University of Foreign Studies had gathered for a two-day freshman
orientation at the Manua Ocean Resort in the southeastern city of
Gyeongju when a crack appeared in the auditorium ceiling before the
collapse.
Recent heavy snow combined with rain likely put too much pressure
on the structure, said Kim In-you, a fire rescue squad team leader for
the Busan Fire Department.
Ten people died, two people were seriously injured and 103
lightly injured, said Jung Yoon-han, director of the disaster management
department at the Ministry of Security and Public Administration.
The students had just finished dinner and were gathering for
recreational activities at the time of the collapse, Byun Ki-chan, head
of the international exchange department at the university, told
reporters Tuesday. Some managed to escape after noticing a crack in the
roof but others couldn't leave in time, he said.
Gyeongju is a historic city and popular tourist destination that
served as the capital of one of the Korean Peninsula's ancient kingdoms.
Located at an altitude of about 500 meters (1,640 feet), the
resort is at the foot of Dongdae Mountain, according to the resort's
website. Weather officials said the area has received heavy snow over
the last week.
Rescue workers carry
a stretcher with a victim from a collapsed resort building in Gyeongju,
South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. The roof of a resort's auditorium
collapsed during a welcoming ceremony for South Korean university
freshmen, killing nine and likely trapping about 10, officials said
Tuesday.
Rescue workers
prepare to carry a victim, center front, as other rescuers try to find
out more victims from a collapsed resort building in Gyeongju, South
Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. The roof of a resort auditorium collapsed
during a welcoming ceremony for South Korean university freshmen,
killing nine and likely trapping about 10, officials said Tuesday.
Rescue workers
search for survivors from a collapsed resort building in Gyeongju, South
Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. The roof of a resort auditorium
collapsed during a welcoming ceremony for South Korean university
freshmen, killing nine and likely trapping about 10, officials said
Tuesday.
A woman trapped in
the rubble of a collapsed resort building waits to be rescued in
Gyeongju, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. South Korean police and
news reports say that dozens of university students are feared trapped
after a building’s roof collapsed because of recent heavy snowfall.
Rescue workers
search for survivors from a collapsed resort building in Gyeongju, South
Korea, Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. Four university students died and about
10 were feared trapped after the roof of a building collapsed in a
southeastern city during a welcoming ceremony for freshmen, South Korean
officials said Tuesday.
A woman trapped in
the rubble of a collapsed resort building waits to be rescued in
Gyeongju, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. South Korean police and
news reports say that dozens of university students are feared trapped
after a building’s roof collapsed because of recent heavy snowfall.
Rescue workers
search for survivors from a collapsed resort building in Gyeongju, South
Korea, Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. South Korean police and news reports say
that dozens of university students are feared trapped after a building’s
roof collapsed because of recent heavy snowfall.
Rescue workers
search for survivors from a collapsed resort building in Gyeongju, South
Korea, Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. South Korean police and news reports say
that dozens of university students are feared trapped after a building’s
roof collapsed because of recent heavy snowfall.
Rescue workers carry
a victim, medical condition unknown, from a collapsed resort building
in Gyeongju, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. South Korean police
and news reports say that dozens of university students are feared
trapped after a building’s roof collapsed because of recent heavy
snowfall.
Source. Associated Press
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