Toll Hits 10 in S. Korea Resort Collapse

A resort auditorium's roof loaded down with snow and rain collapsed during a welcoming ceremony for South Korean university freshmen yesterday, killing 10 and injuring more than 100, officials say. Emergency staff worked through the night to pull people from beneath twisted metal and other debris and rush the injured on stretchers to waiting ambulances. Snow, sleet, and icy roads hampered rescue operations.

About 560 students from Busan University of Foreign Studies had gathered for a two-day freshman orientation at a resort in the southeastern city of Gyeongju when a crack appeared in the auditorium ceiling before the collapse. Some managed to escape when the crack appeared but others couldn't leave in time. Recent heavy snow combined with rain likely put too much pressure on the structure, says a fire rescue squad team leader. (More building collapse stories.)