A pop concert turned tragic for some fans that wanted to gain a better view of the stage.
A group of concert goers stood on a ventilation shaft and their combined weight caused the grate cover to cave in, according to The Associated Press. The people on top fell 10 to 12 feet and 16 people died including 12 at the scene and two more on the way to the hospital, Seongnam city spokesman Kim Nam-jun told South Korea's Yonhap news agency. Another 11 people were seriously injured.
"There was a sudden, loud screaming, and when I turned it looked as if people were being sucked down into a hole," an eyewitness told South Korea's YTN News.
The male victims were in their 30s and 40s and the females were in their 20s and 30s. Most of the dead appeared to be commuters who stopped by to watch the concert on their way home from work, fire officials told the AP.
About 700 people attended the concert at the multipurpose venue called Pangyo Techno Valley. The incident occurred during a performance by the popular female group 4Minute. The show continued until the band and those in the front rows became aware of the collapse.
"I'm a bit shaken up but I'm OK. I was literally 20 feet away from where it happened," Ross Gibson, who lives in Seoul, told the BBC. "None of us knew what had happened. I was queuing up at the beer tent at the time. The concert had just started."
The unfortunate event comes six months after more than 300 South Koreans died in a ferry disaster. The country has poor safety regulations and this second incident could escalate calls for better standards and stricter enforcement, according to the AP.
