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Apparent Suicide After Deadly South Korean Concert Accident

The man, who was involved in planning the concert at which 16 people died in a collapse Friday, was found dead Saturday and police suspect suicide.
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A man involved in the planning of a tragic outdoor pop concert in South Korea Friday was found dead of an apparent suicide Saturday, hours after a grate collapsed and 16 people fell to their deaths.

The man, an employee of Gyeonggi Institute of Science and Technology Promotion, was not identified. Police inspector Park Jeong-ju said the man was believed to have leaped from the top of a 10-floor building. Sixteen people died when the ventilation grate collapsed as they watched a performance by girls' band 4Minute, which is popular across Asia.

About 700 people had gathered to watch the concert in Seongnam, which was part of a local festival. Fire officials said many of the dead and injured appeared to be commuters who stopped to watch the concert after leaving work. Most of the dead were men in their 30s and 40s, while five were women in their 20s and 30s, they said. Seongnam city spokesman Kim Nam-jun said it was believed that the grate collapsed under the weight of the people.

Image: Police officials examine the scene of an accident at a shopping district in Seongnam
Police officials examine the scene of an accident at a shopping district in Seongnam on Oct. 17, in which a ventilation grate collapsed during a concert and killed 16 people.KIM HONG-JI / Reuters

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— The Associated Press