GWANGJU, South Korea, July 27, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Two people died and 10 were
injured, including two American athletes at the world swimming championships,
after a nightclub balcony collapsed in Gwangju, South Korea, early on
Saturday morning, local media reported.
A 38-year-old and a 27-year-old were rushed to hospital in grave condition
after an internal balcony gave away at 2:29am Saturday, but both died from
their injuries, according to Yonhap news agency.
Among the injured were four foreigners, including an American diver and an
American water polo player, reports added.
Pictures showed the mangled wreckage of the balcony which collapsed under
the weight of party-goers and dropped around five metres (16 feet).
The New Zealand water polo teams were also present, according to the New
Zealand Herald.
Men’s captain told Radio Sport: “We were just dancing and then the next
minute we dropped five or six metres and everyone started rushing out of the
club after that. We, I guess, fell on top of the heads of other people that
were beneath us.”
The world championships end on Sunday.