What if heavy rain traps citizens in Cheonggyecheon? ... Disaster simulation drill conducted

Practical Training Simulating Landslides and Flooding

A practical drill simulating various disaster situations that may occur due to heavy rain, such as citizen isolation caused by rising river water levels and stone wall collapse of old houses, will be conducted.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 30th that it will conduct a 'Comprehensive Drill for Complex Flood and Wind Disaster Preparedness' in the Cheonggyecheon and Yeongdeungpo areas in the afternoon, jointly with the city, autonomous districts, police, military-related agencies, and the private sector to prepare for summer flood and wind disasters. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will also participate directly in the drill.

This drill aims to protect citizens' lives and property from increasingly frequent heavy rains. It also aims to establish a rapid disaster response system among related agencies in case of emergency situations. The drill is hosted by Yeongdeungpo-gu and involves 15 organizations including Yeongdeungpo Fire Station, Yeongdeungpo Police Station, Unit 7688, Yeongdeungpo Health Center, Korea Electric Power Corporation, DMAT, KT, Seoul City Gas, Korean Red Cross, Guro-gu, Guro Fire Station, Guro Police Station, Seoul Facilities Corporation, Jungbu Fire Station, and Jongno Fire Station, as well as private organizations such as volunteer fire brigades, autonomous disaster prevention groups, and Donghaeng Partners, totaling 20 organizations and groups.

Comprehensive Training for Flood and Wind Disaster Preparedness in Seoul

The drill assumes a scenario where a heavy rain warning is issued throughout Seoul, and a complex disaster occurs simultaneously in areas including Cheonggyecheon, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and Guro-gu under the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (DSCH) Level 2 emergency duty. First, as multiple casualties are expected due to heavy rain in Sin-gil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, a situation assessment meeting is held chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Administration to escalate the DSCH to Level 3. Then, Mayor Oh, while moving to the disaster site, receives a report from the Deputy Mayor for Administration that a city-wide all-out response is necessary and orders the activation of DSCH Level 3.

The on-site drill focuses on emergency rescue and recovery activities for citizens trapped in Cheonggyecheon and complex disaster situations occurring around the Yeongdeungpo-gu redevelopment site. Seven types of accident scenes that could occur due to heavy rain are actually set up in the Sin-gil-dong redevelopment area, and the drill is conducted as if it were a real situation. When the Yeongdeungpo Fire Station Chief issues Response Level 1, related agencies such as the autonomous district simultaneously dispatch personnel to the site, and the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters supports with special equipment such as helicopters and manpower to carry out an all-out response. The disaster types include ▲semi-basement house flooding ▲underground parking lot flooding ▲stone wall collapse of old houses ▲fire caused by electrical leakage ▲vehicle fall ▲citizen fall and isolation due to ground subsidence ▲power outage and communication blackout in apartment complexes.

The third site, Gaeung Mountain in Guro-gu, will conduct a drill assuming resident evacuation and hiker rescue activities following a landslide warning. However, this drill will be pre-recorded on video and broadcast on the day.

Mayor Oh arrives at the Yeongdeungpo-gu drill site, receives a report on the initial response from the local fire station chief, and directly checks the response system of related agencies at the complex disaster response site. At the same time, the Disaster and Safety Situation Room at City Hall convenes an emergency meeting chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Administration to discuss measures to prevent damage spread and for response and recovery under DSCH Level 3 operation. Afterwards, Mayor Oh discusses damage prevention and recovery measures for the entire city through a remote video conference with the city, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and Guro-gu DSCHs at the disaster safety field situation room set up on a bus.

Based on the results of this drill, the city plans to derive improvement measures and further strengthen its disaster preparedness posture. Mayor Oh said, "Disasters can occur anytime, anywhere, and to anyone, but if everyone prepares and responds together, the damage can be minimized. I hope today's comprehensive drill will be a starting point for not only rapid response in actual disaster situations but also close communication and organic cooperation between the public and private sectors and related agencies, and a chance to confirm Seoul's firm preparedness and determination."