South Korean official dies after concert disaster

Seoul: An official dealing with safety measures at a concert in South Korea where 16 people died when the grate they were standing on collapsed, apparently died by suicide hours after the tragedy, authorities say.

The death of the 37-year-old local government official, surnamed Oh, was announced on Saturday as South Korean police launched an investigation into the previous day’s incident at an outdoor pop concert in the city of Seongnam.

The victims were standing on a ventilation grating to get a better view of all-girl K-pop band 4Minute when the structure collapsed under their weight, sending them plunging almost 19 metres into an underground parking area.

The safety official was found dead early on Saturday a few hours after he was interviewed by police over the disaster, local media said.