Two people died and 16 were injured, including eight athletes taking part in swimming's world championship, after a balcony collapsed under the weight of party-goers at a South Korean nightclub, local police said Saturday.

A balcony and a staircase inside a nightclub in South Korea's Gwangju dropped around 16 feet at 2.30 AM (local time) on Saturday as many including athletes participating in world aquatic championships were dancing.

A 38-year-old and a 27-year-old were rushed to hospital in grave condition but both died from their injuries, according to local media. The two dead were locals and not involved in the swimming championships.

Two people died and 16 were injured, including eight athletes taking part in swimming's world championship, after a balcony collapsed under the weight of party-goers at a South Korean nightclub, local police said Saturday.

A balcony and a staircase inside a nightclub in South Korea's Gwangju dropped around 16 feet at 2.30 AM (local time) on Saturday as many including athletes participating in world aquatic championships were dancing.

A 38-year-old and a 27-year-old were rushed to hospital in grave condition but both died from their injuries, according to local media. The two dead were locals and not involved in the swimming championships.