Ceiling collapses on elderly shoppers at South Korean supermarket, leaving at least 38 injured

From the Newshound archive · first published 10 October 2026 · last updated 11 October 2026.

A section of ceiling came down on shoppers at a four-storey building in Daegu, South Korea, on Saturday morning during a kitchenware sales event targeting elderly customers. All 66 people inside got out safely; 38 suffered minor injuries and nine were taken to hospital. President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to spare no effort in reaching anyone who might be trapped, while Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called on authorities to locate nearby medical facilities for those affected. Sixty firefighters and 14 vehicles were deployed, and a thorough search turned up no further casualties.

The building dates from 1994. The plaster ceiling on the second floor, where a vendor was selling kitchenware to elderly customers, gave way at 10:16am local time.

Fire official Yoon Jong-mi said serious injuries were considered very unlikely, though the overall toll could still climb.

Authorities have opened an investigation into what caused the collapse, and police have been stationed at the site to handle traffic.