4-Hour Power Outage in Seoul Oryu-dong Caused by Crows
Ministry of Environment to Designate Crows as Harmful Birds Next Year
An incident occurred in a residential area of Seoul where electricity was cut off for 483 households for several hours. The cause of the blackout was identified as crows.
According to a report by Newsis on the 30th, power supply to 483 households in the Oryu-dong area of Guro-gu, Seoul, was interrupted for about four hours around 12:30 PM that day.
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), upon receiving the report, began restoration efforts, and power supply resumed around 4:30 PM. A KEPCO official stated, "A crow perched on a utility pole and touched the power lines," adding, "It appears that sparks from the transformer caused the blackout."
Crows are considered one of the main culprits causing blackouts in urban areas. At one time, magpies were regarded as the primary cause of blackouts due to their habit of nesting on utility poles, but in recent years, blackouts caused by crows have nearly doubled those caused by magpies. This is attributed to the fact that crows, once migratory birds, have settled as resident birds, increasing their population nineteenfold over the past 20 years.
On the morning of the 9th of last month, about 3,800 households in four nearby apartments and officetels in Yonghyeon-dong, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, experienced power outages lasting 10 to 50 minutes, causing inconvenience during commuting hours. KEPCO determined, based on on-site closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, that the blackout was caused by crows contacting the power lines.
According to KEPCO's Daegu Headquarters, the number of blackouts caused by crow contact in their jurisdiction was 33 cases in 2020, increased to 46 cases in 2021, and surged to 68 cases last year, more than doubling in two years.
Crows not only cause blackouts but also damage crops such as orchards, and by approaching residential areas in cities to breed, they sometimes attack pedestrians, causing harm.
According to the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters, the number of 119 emergency dispatches related to crows in Seoul increased from 19 cases in 2020 to 26 cases last year. On June 23rd, a pedestrian in an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul, was pecked on the head by a crow and was transported by a 119 ambulance.
Nevertheless, unlike magpies, crows are currently classified only as harmful wild animals, not as harmful birds, making it difficult to establish countermeasures. KEPCO can directly capture and hunt harmful birds, but to capture harmful wild animals, permission must be obtained from local governments.
However, starting next year, it is expected that prevention of blackout damage caused by crows will become possible. The Ministry of Environment plans to implement an enforcement decree from next year that includes crows as harmful birds. A KEPCO official said, "If crows are designated as harmful birds, more effective measures will be possible."
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