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2 dead, several athletes injured in South Korean nightclub collapse near World Aquatics Championships
- Among the injured were athletes from the US, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Italy and Brazil. Those killed were both South Korean
- They were hit by an upper deck area that may have been constructed illegally, with police confirming an investigation has been opened into the structure
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Two South Koreans died and several foreign athletes competing at the World Aquatics Championships were injured when part of a nightclub in the city of Gwangju collapsed early on Saturday.
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Witnesses said there were around 370 people inside the Coyote Ugly nightclub near the athletes’ village when the floor of the upper deck above the bar gave way at about 2am local time.
A spokesman for the Gwangju Seobu Fire Station confirmed that two South Koreans had died. Among the injured were seven water polo players – three from the US, two from New Zealand, one from The Netherlands and one from Italy – as well as a Brazilian swimmer, Yonhap said.
Six of the injured were female athletes and three had to be taken to hospital for treatment. Their injuries ranged from bruising to cuts on their hands and feet.
“We were just dancing and then the next minute we dropped five to six metres and everyone started rushing out of the club after that,” said New Zealand men’s water polo team captain Matt Small.
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