Jeonbuk Hit by 'Water Bomb' Over Two Days: Landslides and Levee Failures... 3 Dead, 1,702 Evacuated

A Total of 983 Cases Including 267 Public Facilities and 716 Private Facilities

Landslide site in Beonam-myeon, Jangsu-gun. Photo by Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hong Jaehee] The Jeonbuk region experienced an average of 337.8mm of heavy rainfall over two days, causing significant damage such as landslides and embankment collapses.

According to the Jeonbuk Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 9th, the rain from the 7th to the 8th resulted in 3 deaths (including agricultural waterway accidents), 267 cases of damage to public facilities, and 716 cases of damage to private facilities, totaling 983 cases.

Additionally, due to landslides and the collapse of the Seomjingang embankment, 1,702 residents from 32 towns, townships, and neighborhoods in 6 cities and counties including Namwon, Jeonju, Jinan, Jangsu, Imsil, and Sunchang were evacuated.

During this heavy rain, a couple in their 60s was buried and died in a landslide in Beonam-myeon, Jangsu-gun the previous day, and a woman in her 70s who went out to work in the fields in Namwon was found dead after falling into an agricultural waterway.

There were 267 cases of damage including 17 road slope collapses, 13 damages, and 84 landslides. Additionally, 642 houses and 56 livestock sheds were flooded, and 7,883.7 hectares of crops were submerged, totaling 716 cases of damage.

Due to the collapse of the Seomjingang embankment in Namwon, 300 residents of Geumji-myeon evacuated, and 206 residents of Songdong and Daegang-myeon evacuated due to rising water levels in the Seomjingang river. Furthermore, 210 residents of Ibaek, Jusaeng, and Noam-myeon evacuated as the Yocheon River overflowed following the discharge from Donghwa Dam in Jangsu-gun.

In addition, a total of 1,702 people evacuated due to house flooding, concerns over flooding from Yongdam Dam discharge, leakage at Bongam Reservoir, and small stream flooding.

Jeonbuk Province controlled 8 riverside parking lots, 16 underpasses, 21 roads and bridges, and 130 park trails within the province.

A Jeonbuk Province official stated, “We plan to conduct investigations on damaged facilities and carry out emergency restoration work,” adding, “We will continuously monitor weather conditions and promptly respond by grasping the damage situation in real time.”