"Firefighter Responsible After Saving Lives? Controversy Over 119 Accountability in Busan Underpass Disaster"

Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Busan City & Fire Headquarters Audit
Police Raid Busan Fire Headquarters Related to Underground Passage Disaster
Firefighter's Sister Appeals, "Don't Shift Responsibility to Firefighters"
Expert Says, "Before Blaming Firefighters, Jurisdictional Agencies Must Be Verified"

Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] As the government and police have begun investigating the fire station in charge following the death of three people in a flooded underpass in Busan due to heavy rain, public criticism is emerging.

There are criticisms that this accident was essentially a man-made disaster because the local government responsible for managing the underpass did not follow safety manuals such as deploying monitors and controlling traffic before the weather warning was issued. From the firefighters' perspective, they argue that since they diligently performed their duties, they should not be subject to investigation.

Experts pointed out that the local government and the relevant departments responsible for managing the underpass bear responsibility.

On the evening of the 23rd of last month at 8 p.m., the Busan Regional Meteorological Administration issued a heavy rain warning for the Busan area. As the Meteorological Administration predicted, a record-breaking heavy rain of 80mm per hour poured down in Busan. Around 10:18 p.m., seven vehicles were suddenly submerged in the rapidly rising water at the Choryang No.1 Underpass, resulting in three deaths.

There are criticisms that despite the underpass beginning to flood due to the heavy rain at the time of the accident, road control or traffic restrictions were not implemented.

On the day of the accident, none of the 29 underpasses in the Busan area had vehicle traffic controlled. In particular, there was a manual to control the Choryang underpass when a heavy rain warning was issued, but it is known that no action was taken.

On the evening of the 23rd last month at 8 PM, the Choryang No.1 Underpass in Dong-gu, Busan was flooded due to heavy rain. Fire authorities are conducting rescue operations. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Although the accident was caused by sudden heavy rain, there are criticisms that it could have been prevented, prompting the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to launch an audit. On the 31st of last month, six officials from the Safety Inspection Team were sent to Busan to begin an audit on disaster response related to the flooding accident at Choryang No.1 Underpass.

The audit team is reportedly focusing on investigating why vehicle control at Choryang No.1 Underpass was not implemented despite the heavy rain warning issued at 8 p.m. on the 23rd of last month when record-breaking heavy rain fell in Busan.

The key issues are whether the drainage pumps at Choryang No.1 Underpass operated properly and whether the initial response by the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters was appropriate.

Earlier, on the 30th at around 7 p.m., the Busan Police Agency conducted a search and seizure at the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters' comprehensive situation room and the Jungbu Fire Station. The police reportedly secured 119 radio recordings, rescue situation reports, and joint response reception reports from the fire headquarters' situation room and Jungbu Fire Station.

CCTV footage capturing the process of the Choryang No.1 Underpass in Dong-gu, Busan turning into a 'reservoir' on July 23 [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, it was confirmed that the 119 rescue was delayed due to the flood of emergency calls at the time of the accident. This was because heavy rain exceeding 80mm per hour caused widespread flood damage in various locations.

According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the first rescue call from the underpass was around 9:30 p.m., but 119 answered the call about 40 minutes later at around 10:10 p.m. The rescue team arrived 10 minutes later and rescued six survivors by 11:30 p.m.

However, controversy has arisen as a kind of responsibility theory emerged, claiming that the city, police, fire department, and other related agencies neglected initial response at the scene and overall disaster and safety management duties.

In response, the related agencies are avoiding responsibility. Dong-gu District in Busan acknowledged some negligence but stated that it is inappropriate to point out all faults and problems solely to the basic local government.

The police emphasized that the local government is responsible for road control and management, and argued that there was no problem with the initial response since they took immediate action after receiving the report and dispatching.

The fire department also rebutted criticism of delayed rescue by releasing records of on-site activities at the time. The fire authorities stated that three firefighters who were emergency summoned around 9:47 p.m. were rescuing two people trapped in vehicles near the underpass and started rescue operations in the underpass four minutes later.

Photo by Cheongwadae Petition Board

Given the situation, a petition titled "I am the sister of a firefighter who responded to the Busan flooding site" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. The petitioner introduced herself as "the sister of a firefighter who responded to the Busan Choryang underpass flooding accident" and said, "There was a heartbreaking accident that cannot be expressed in words, and my brother was at the scene."

She continued, "On the day Busan was flooded by heavy rain, my brother rushed out after work without rest. Without proper equipment, he struggled against the rushing water, swimming in the dark water with only a rope tied to his bare body, trying desperately to save even one more person," she explained.

She appealed, "Is the recent news about the fire station search and seizure reasonable? Please do not shift responsibility onto firefighters who risk their lives. Please help firefighters who are doing their best for the safety of the people to actively operate at the scene." As of 3:30 p.m. on the 6th, this petition had 11,909 supporters.

The reactions of citizens who heard the news were no different. Office worker A (28) said, "It seems absurd to treat firefighters, who value people's lives more than their own, like this. They must have been running around the rescue site all night due to the heavy rain at the time of the accident. Isn't this too much?" she expressed indignation.

Another office worker B (26) said, "I somewhat understand the investigation of related agencies, but isn't the search and seizure too much? If it was a flood-risk area, the responsible officials or police should have taken action first. Because that was not done well, firefighters ended up being dispatched," she raised her voice. She added, "I think such treatment of firefighters who worked hard on the front lines of rescue is unacceptable."

On the afternoon of the 30th of last month, police and officials from the National Forensic Service conducted a detailed on-site investigation at Choryang 1st Underpass in Dong-gu, Busan, to determine the cause of the flooding that occurred a week earlier due to heavy rain. On the 23rd of last month, a heavy rain warning was issued, and more than 80mm of rain fell per hour, causing the Choryang 1st Underpass to flood, tragically resulting in the deaths of three people who were trapped inside. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Some argue that the accident worsened due to shortcomings in facility management. Although the drainage pumps operated at the time of the accident, their capacity was insufficient, and the electronic signboard in front of the underpass did not display road control notices, indicating a lack of preparedness.

On the 27th of last month, Lee Eonju, the permanent representative of the Active Free Citizens, held a press conference in front of Busan City Hall calling for a "Flood Damage Truth Investigation," stating, "There are many questions about why the drainage pumps at Choryang underpass did not operate properly despite their presence," and "Although a manual for flood damage prevention was created, was it actually followed?" She criticized, "The city and related authorities failed to actively respond to the heavy rain damage, leading to a major disaster."

Experts pointed out that before holding the fire department responsible for the underpass flooding accident, the responsible agencies should be identified first.

Professor Gong Haseong of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "I think fundamental issues such as control and deployment of safety personnel at the time of flooding should be pointed out. Rescue is an event after the incident occurs, and even if there are problems there, it is not desirable to blame the fire department first. The related departments that caused the underpass flooding should bear responsibility first by finding the actual cause and punishing it. Responsibility should be assigned afterward if necessary."