Suwon City Installs 'Emergency Escape Facilities' in Flood-Prone Underground Passages

Handrail installed in the underpass by Suwon City

The city of Suwon in Gyeonggi Province has installed emergency escape handrails and ladders in four underground underpasses with a high risk of flooding to prepare for sudden flooding incidents.

On the 20th, Suwon City announced that it had installed emergency escape handrails (total length of 1,520 meters) and ladders (16 locations) in four underground underpasses: Hwasan Underpass, Jangan Underpass, Gosaek Underpass, and Maeyeoul Underpass. Suwon is the first local government to install emergency evacuation facilities in underground underpasses.

Accordingly, if an unpredictable natural disaster causes flooding in these underpasses, vehicle drivers can hold onto the handrails installed on the underpass walls, move along them, and climb the nearest emergency ladder to evacuate outside the underpass.

Next year, Suwon City plans to install entry blocking facilities in five more underground underpasses: Seryu, Gwonsun, Homaesil, Daehwanggyo, and Jeongcheon Underpasses.

A Suwon City official said, "Many citizens are anxious due to casualties caused by flooding accidents in underground underpasses during the summer," adding, "This will help citizens evacuate quickly when unpredictable disasters occur inside the underpasses."