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| View of the ventilation grate at K-pop concert. Source: Yonhap News Agency |
The K-pop world is reeling from a tragic accident that occurred at an outdoor pop concert in South Korea on Friday, with news agencies reporting at least 16 concert goers dead and almost a dozen more injured.
The accident occurred around 5 p.m. Korean time on Friday at “The 1st Pangyo Techno Valley Festival,” held in Seongnam City just south of Seoul, where the popular K-pop groups 4minute, T-ara, JungGiGo and Cherry Filter were scheduled to perform. During the girl group 4minute’s performance, fans were reported to have stood on top of a ventilation grate to get a better view. The steel grids on top of the raised ventilation platform collapsed under the weight of the concert goers, and the fans fell about 66 feet down a concrete shaft to an underground parking area below.
According to the BBC, 12 people were instantly killed after the fall, another two died on the way to the hospital and two people died while receiving treatment at the hospital. Another 10 or 11 people are reported to have been injured.
An estimated 1,000 people were in attendance at the outdoor music festival. “Techno Valley” is South Korea’s Silicon Valley, where many of the country’s high-tech companies are based. Many of the concert goers are believed to be employees of nearby companies who attended the event after work.
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| Members of 4minute did not learn of the accident until they were on their way back to Seoul |
Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families.