10 Dead, Hundreds Trapped in Gyeongju Resort Collapse

At least 10 students were killed and 103 others injured when the roof of a building in a mountain resort collapsed under heavy snow in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province on Monday night.

Around 500 students from a university in Busan were holding a welcoming event for freshmen in the building when the disaster happened.

Police said the dead and injured were taken to hospital, while rescue operations continued as many more were feared trapped under the debris.

Firefighters believe the building, made of steel panels and measuring around 990 sq.m, was not strong enough to withstand the weight of the snow on top of it. Around 700 police and firefighters from Gyeongju, Ulsan and Pohang were mobilized to rescue the victims.

Gyeongju saw heavy snowfall from Feb. 9 to 11, which failed to melt at higher altitudes.