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Korean concert official dies

October 18, 2014

A safety official at a concert where 16 people died in South Korea has apparently committed suicide. The victims plunged 18.7 meters when the ventilation grate they were standing on collapsed.

https://p.dw.com/p/1DY3u
4Minute disaster
Image: Getty Images/P. Young-Dae-Donga Daily

On Saturday, officials announced the death of the 37-year-old, surnamed Oh, as police launched an investigation into Friday's incident at an outdoor pop concert in the city of Seongnam, just south of Seoul.

Amateur video footage obtained by the YTN news channel showed shocked spectators surrounding the collapsed grate that allowed 16 people to fall 62 feet to their deaths as the popular all-girl K-pop band 4Minute, apparently oblivious to the accident, continued performing on stage. Doctors continue to treat eight people facing life-threatening injuries from the accident.

"I am sorry for the dead victims ..." Oh wrote in a short message to his wife, officials said on Saturday. "Please take a good care of my children."

On Saturday, disaster relief spokesman Kim Nam-Jun told journalists that Oh, who worked with a group sponsoring the concert, had jumped off a building near where the tragedy took place. YTN TV reported that authorities had found him dead at about 7 a.m. Saturday (2200 UTC Friday), a few hours after police had interrogated him over the disaster. Kim also said that authorities had inspected the concert site on Saturday.

"A joint team of police and national forensic experts scoured the site this morning and closely inspected gratings and related structures," Oh said.

'Criminal charges'

On Friday, witnesses told media there were no security guards or safety fences to prevent the overflowing spectators from climbing onto the grate after the seating was fully occupied. The Yonhap news agency has reported that police have questioned 15 people, including officials of the local Internet news provider that financed and organized the concert.

"If it turns out that safety regulations were ignored, we would bring criminal charges against them," Yonhap quoted a police official as saying.

More than 700 people had reportedly attended the concert, with seats available for just 400.

4Minute
The performance continued until 4Minute was made aware of the accidentImage: Getty Images/Chung Sung-Jun

"Many people on the vent gratings were chanting and dancing to the music," a 45-year-old man who runs a restaurant near the site was quoted as saying by Chosun Ilbo newspaper. "I was worried about their safety, but there were no security guards around."

mkg/nm (AFP, AP)