| A police line around the night club in Gwangju where part of the upper floor collapsed and killed two people on Saturday. / Yonhap |
By Lee Suh-yoon
A police investigation into the collapse of a balcony-style dance-floor at a nightclub in the southwestern city of Gwangju, early Saturday, has found that it was a preventable man-made disaster.
The deadly accident occurred in the Coyote Ugly club at around 2:40 a.m., Saturday, when the dance floor constructed over the bar area collapsed. At the time about 370 people were in the club.
Two Koreans in their late 20s and 30s ― likely dancing under the extended balony at the time of the accident ― were killed and at least 25 more were injured. Eleven people were still hospitalized as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Gwangju Seo District Office.
The collapsed area, measuring 20 square meters, was part of an added balcony space the club set up without the necessary building permits. Witnesses told local media there were around 30 people packed on the small section of the balcony just before it collapsed.
In June last year, the glass flooring of an interior balcony at the same club broke, causing a woman in her 20s to fall and suffer injuries. The club was fined 2 million won ($1,690) but was not ordered to take any other safety measures except replacing the broken section. The district authorities also failed carry out biannual safety checks of the club and others in the area, according to media reports.
Videos taken just after the collapse shows clubbers trying to lift up debris to free those trapped underneath.
| The collapsed deck at the Gwangju Coyote Ugly nightclub, Saturday / Yonhap |
The opposition Bareunmirae Party called Saturday's tragedy “a clearly man-made disaster,” throwing barbs at the Moon Jae-in administration for not exercising better safety oversight to prevent such accidents.
“Open duplex structures are common at nightclubs. The relevant authorities should have carried out strict safety monitoring beforehand,” spokesman Lee Jong-chul said.
Eight athletes competing at the FINA championships were also among the injured, according to the organizing committee's press statement. The U.S. women's water polo team later revealed four of its athletes had been injured at the club while celebrating their third world title win over Spain, Friday; one underwent surgery for a deep cut to her leg and two others required stitches. A New Zealand athlete is also undergoing scans at a local hospital for possible spinal injures, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Three co-owners of the club are undergoing police questioning for their role in building the faulty balcony to fit in more guests. Autopsies will be conducted on the two casualties today to determine their exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, police will look into suspected violations of construction laws and maximum capacity rules.