Increase in Seoul Mountain Rescue Dispatches, Highest in October... "Hiking Safety Caution"

9-10 Month Mountain Accident Rescue Dispatches Total 1,122 Cases, Accounting for 23% of All Cases
Since April This Year, Monthly Dispatches Have Increased Compared to Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters is implementing measures to prepare for mountain safety accidents during the autumn season.

According to the Disaster Headquarters on the 30th, among the 4,887 mountain accident dispatches over the past three years, last year's dispatches numbered 1,830, showing an increase of 518 cases (39.5%↑) and 85 cases (4.9%↑) compared to 2019 and 2020 respectively, marking a consecutive increase for two years.

Monthly mountain accident rescue dispatches during the autumn months of September and October accounted for 1,122 cases, approximately 23% of the total dispatches over the three years. In particular, the number of mountain accident dispatches received in October over the three years was 584, the highest among all 12 months. By type of mountain accident, injuries caused by slips and falls (1,544 cases) were the most frequent, and the locations where accidents occurred were recorded in order as Bukhansan (1,189 cases), Gwanaksan (711 cases), and Dobongsan (466 cases).

The total number of people rescued from mountain accidents over the past three years was 3,212, with the age group 51-60 years old being the largest at 842 people, followed by 61-70 years old (640 people) and 21-30 years old (470 people). Additionally, by day of the week, 1,745 people, accounting for 54.3% of the total, were rescued on weekends, Saturday and Sunday.

This year, the number of mountain accident dispatches up to August was 1,191, similar to 1,193 cases during the same period last year; however, from April, when social distancing measures were lifted, the monthly dispatch numbers increased compared to last year.

Accordingly, the Disaster Headquarters operates three mountain rescue teams in areas with frequent mountain rescue requests such as Bukhansan, and from September to October, they are implementing the "Autumn Mountain Accident Rescue Measures." These measures include operating "Mountain Safety Keepers" for safe hiking, inspecting mountain emergency rescue kits and emergency rescue location signboards, conducting rescue training to master mountain terrain and prepare for isolation accidents, and holding coordination meetings with related organizations for mountain safety management.

Chief Choi Tae-young stated, "We will do our utmost to implement measures for prompt rescue in case of mountain accident reports," and added, "We also ask citizens embarking on autumn hikes to adhere to safety rules."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.