A South Korean government official responsible for safety measures at a recent concert by K-pop band 4Minute, where 16 fans died, has been found dead. The 37-year-old official, surname Oh, is believed to have leapt from a 10-story building located near where the outdoor concert in the city of Seongnam, only hours after the tragedy, on Friday, 17th October.
The UK’sTelegraph reports Oh left behind a note to his surviving wife that read, “I am sorry for the dead victims… Please take a good care of my children.”
The incident, which led to Oh’s death, saw 16 4Minute fans die after standing on a ventilation grating that collapsed. The show-goers were trying to get a better view of the K-pop group when the grating collapsed under their weight. The victims fell 18.7 meters into an underground parking area.
Witnesses say there were no safety measures or security guards to prevent fans from scaling the ventilation grating and that the 400 supplied chairs filled up before the concert had began, with over 700 fan attending the performance. Oh’s body was found 7am (local time) on Saturday, 18th October, after being interrogated by police about the fatal incident.
Amateur footage of the concert shows onlookers surrounding the collapsed grating, while 4Minute continue to perform unaware of the disaster. According to Rolling Stone, 4Minute’s label Cube Entertainment issued a statement following the concert to express sympathies and explain the group was not made aware of the incident until after the show.
“We can’t express how regretful they are for what happened,” read the statement. “During their performance, none of the members or staff were aware of the accident and finished their complete set. It wasn’t until they arrived back in Seoul that they heard of the news regarding the accident.”
11 more fans were seriously injured during the incident. YTN News has obtained amateur footage of the crowd’s reaction immediately after the incident, as 4Minute continue to perform.
For help or information on suicide prevention contact Lifeline on 131 114, or visit beyondblue.org.au.
Watch: Tragedy at South Korea 4Minute Concert
http://youtu.be/1g8ENiO1a2M
