Celebration has turned to “deep shock” after the Australian women’s water polo team, competing at the FINA World Championships in South Korea, escaped injury after a balcony collapsed at a nightclub in Gwangju.
Local media reported one person has reportedly died and up to 14 people were injured when an internal “overcrowded” balcony collapsed inside the Coyote Ugly Nightclub about 2.30am Korean time.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, seven foreigners were injured including one player from the US water polo team who suffered a broken leg.
Water Polo Australia confirmed to the ABC that members of the Australian team were celebrating their win over Hungary in the bronze-medal match when the incident occurred.
The team players escaped unhurt but “deeply shocked”, according to the ABC.
Several members of the Australian and New Zealand men’s water polo team were also at the nightclub.
A statement from New Zealand Water Polo to the ABC read: “New Zealand players assisted and supported those directly affected, along with supporting Korea authorities.”
Only hours earlier the Australian team posted on Twitter the “incredible feeling of coming away with a medal … there is absolutely no feeling like it”.
“That game was tough and Hungary did not make it easy for us,” Hannah Buckling posted in a video message to fans.
Hungary had locked up the scores at the end of the opening period to set the scene for a cliffhanger with Australia leading 7-6 at halftime before building a three-goal buffer in the final term.
Winners are grinners 😁🥉😁🥉@hannahbuckling on #AussieStingers bronze medal win over Hungary 🙌🙌#Gwangjiu2019 #TokyoTogether pic.twitter.com/4w5Pw92jCk
— Water Polo Australia (@WaterpoloAus) July 26, 2019
The New Zealand water polo captain Matt Small told NZ sports radio network Radio Sport after the collapse that “there were people lying everywhere”.
Small said he and a few teammates had been enjoying themselves moments before the incident.
“We were just dancing and then the next minute we dropped 5m-6m and everyone started rushing out of the club after that.
“We, I guess, fell on top of the heads of other people that were beneath us.”
“Pretty crazy stuff, none of the boys were injured, everyone is pretty shaken.
“I was literally on the floor that collapsed, I was upstairs … and the one that collapsed was the one i was on.
He told Radio Sport a few of the men’s team tried to get some of the injured out from under the rubble.
“We did what we could but we couldn’t really do too much. Some of them were pretty dire cases. We were moreso concerned about everyone else and doing a number count.
“We were more so just concerned about everyone else, we were trying to do a number count and make sure all the boys were there.
“And everyone was fine – so pretty relieving stuff but at the same time pretty chilling.”
Small said the floor never felt stable, with too many people inside the venue. “There were lots of people there but we didn’t expect that to happen”.
Yonhap reported police are investigating the cause of the incident inside the the building, which has seven floors above ground and two floors below ground, with theatres on the upper floors and damage to the second floor club.
-with agencies
The post Australia’s water polo teams in nightclub balcony collapse in South Korea appeared first on The New Daily.
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