SEOUL, South Korea — Four university students died and about 10 were feared trapped after the roof of a building collapsed in a South Korean city during a welcoming ceremony for freshmen, officials said Monday.
Twenty other students were rescued and taken to hospitals, according to an official at the state-run National Emergency Management Agency who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to media. Another official with the agency, also speaking anonymously, confirmed the four deaths. They didn't provide further details on injuries or rescue operations.
The collapse came as about 1,000 students from Busan University of Foreign Studies gathered for a freshman orientation at a resort in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. About 450 of the students were in a building when the roof collapsed, the first official said.
South Korean media reported that heavy snowfall was believed to have resulted in the collapse, but the cause still hasn't been officially announced.