Cheongju Osong Underpass Flooding Death Toll Rises to 7

On the morning of the 16th, one additional deceased person was confirmed at the search site for the missing person in the Cheongju Osong underpass. As a result, the death toll related to the underpass flooding has risen to seven.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the fire authorities, during the search operation at the Gungpyeong 2 Underpass in Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju City, one body was found in the morning. This was one hour after five bodies were discovered in a submerged city bus near the entrance of the underpass.

Earlier, the fire authorities announced that they had recovered five bodies from the city bus submerged in the underpass. Among them, one was a woman in her 70s, and the identities of the other four have not been confirmed.

Thus, the total number of deceased found from yesterday until now has increased to seven, including three men and four women.

Currently, it is known that more than ten vehicles are submerged in the underpass, so there is a possibility of additional casualties.

The fire authorities began deploying divers for a full-scale search around 6 a.m. after drainage work progressed overnight to a level that allowed rescue teams to enter.