Staff Member from Chungju Fire Station Dispatched to Scene Swept Away by Rapid Current, Missing

▲Heavy rain concentrated on the 2nd in Chungju, Chungbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] At around 7:30 a.m. on the 2nd, an employee of the Chungju Fire Station who was dispatched to a river in Sancheok-myeon, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, a site damaged by heavy rain, went missing after being swept away by a rapid current.

The employee, Song (29), who works at the Chungju Fire Station, is believed to have gotten out of the vehicle to check the surroundings as the river water rose, and was swept away by the rapid current due to ground subsidence.

The fire authorities dispatched a rescue team to search for the missing person along the accident site and the river.

Chungju, Chungbuk, where the accident occurred, was under a heavy rain warning, with 224mm of heavy rain pouring down just in the morning. Currently, strong rain exceeding 30mm per hour accompanied by thunder and lightning continues to fall.