South Korea: 38 injured as ceiling collapses during Daegu sales event

Thirty-eight people suffered minor injuries on Saturday when part of a ceiling collapsed at a building in South Korea’s southeastern city of Daegu, fire authorities said.

According to local authorities and fire officials, the incident occurred at around 10.16am on the second floor of a four-storey building in Gwaneum-dong. At the time, a vendor was selling kitchenware and other goods to elderly customers when a section of the ceiling’s finishing material fell down.

All 66 people inside evacuated the building on their own following the collapse. A total of 38 people were reported to have sustained minor injuries, with nine transported to hospitals. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

Firefighters dispatched 14 vehicles and 60 personnel to conduct a search and implement safety measures at the scene. A thorough search following the evacuation revealed no additional casualties. Police also deployed officers around the site to manage traffic.