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16 dead in accident at South Korean music festival

SEOUL — 16 people have died after the cover of a ventilation shaft they were standing on at an open-air pop concert gave way, officials and media said.

People gather around a collapsed ventilation grate at an outdoor theater in Seongnam, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 17, 2014. Officials say that two people have died and 12 others were presumed dead after a ventilation grate near an outdoor concert venue collapsed. Photo: AP

People gather around a collapsed ventilation grate at an outdoor theater in Seongnam, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 17, 2014. Officials say that two people have died and 12 others were presumed dead after a ventilation grate near an outdoor concert venue collapsed. Photo: AP

SEOUL — 16 people have died after the cover of a ventilation shaft they were standing on at an open-air pop concert gave way, officials and media said.

A Seongnam official announced the deaths during a televised briefing and said that more were seriously injured.  “The injured are in serious condition so the number of deaths could rise,” said an emergency services official.

About 25 people at the K-Pop concert fell more than 10m into the ventilation system when the cover they were standing on to get a better view of the stage gave way, Yonhap news agency and YTN television said.

The concert was part of the Pangyo Techno Valley Festival in Seongnam, South Korea. The accident occurred when popular girl group 4Minute was on stage, Korean media reported.

Yonhap news agency reported that about 700 people had gathered to watch the outdoor concert. Besides 4Minute, T-ara, JungGiGo, and Cherry Filter were also supposed to perform.

According to a statement from 4Minute’s agency, Cube Entertainment, the band were not aware of the accident until they had finished their performance.

“When 4minute was performing, all the members and staff did not know about the accident and only heard the news on their way back to Seoul following the performance,” said the agency. “We hope that none of the spectators experience much damage from today’s accident.”

About 700 people were at the concert near a shopping mall where the group 4Minute was performing. The group features the singer and dancer Hyuna, who shot to fame after performing in the “Gangnam Style” music video by the South Korean rapper Psy.

It was the latest in a string of accidents in South Korea, including the sinking of a ferry in April in which more than 300 people were killed, that has raised questions about safety and put pressure on authorities to tighten up standards.

South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and one of its leading manufacturing and export powerhouses, has developed into one of the world’s most technically advanced countries, but faces criticism that regulatory controls have not kept pace. AGENCIES

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