Skip to main content

Library under construction in South Korea collapses, killing 1 and trapping 3 under rubble

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A library under construction in South Korea collapsed on Thursday, leaving one worker dead and three others trapped under the rubble, officials said.

Four workers were initially buried in the collapse in the southern city of Gwangju.

One of them was pulled out but later declared dead at a nearby hospital, local emergency officer Ahn Gyun-jae told a televised briefing. Ahn said rescuers found the location of a second worker and were trying to retrieve that person.

Ahn said authorities have mobilized cranes, drones, thermal imaging cameras and rescue dogs.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
Read Next Story