887 Evacuated in 8 Cities and Provinces
47 Roads and Underpasses Closed
Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures본, Crisis Alert Raised to 'Warning'
As heavy rain continues for the second day, damage is occurring across the country. Due to this heavy rain, 585 households and 887 people have evacuated in 36 cities and counties across 8 provinces. Incidents such as fallen trees and flooded houses are continuously being reported.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' rain response report as of 5 a.m. on the 18th, the current number of evacuees is 219 in Jeonnam, 134 in Gyeongnam, 118 in Gyeonggi, 77 in Chungnam, and 30 in Gyeongbuk, totaling 887 people. In Paju, Gyeonggi Province, 45 people from 11 households evacuated in advance following a flood crisis warning, and in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, 37 people from 8 households evacuated early from areas at risk of landslides.
Fire authorities conducted 1,091 rescue and safety management operations until 4 a.m. on the same day, and damage reports continue to come in. Around 4:09 a.m., a tree fell near the main gate of Apgujeong High School in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and at 4:55 a.m., a report was received of a pine tree falling on the trail around Gungdong Mountain in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu. Flood damage and soil runoff also caused damage to houses. Around 1:35 a.m., a road in Wollong-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province was flooded, submerging vehicles. At 2:25 a.m., a landslide in Baekseok-eup, Yangju caused soil to flow down, partially collapsing a house, and residents evacuated on their own. At 2:50 a.m., water accumulated on the second floor of a multi-family house in Hong-eun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, and drainage work was carried out.
There were also accidents where vehicles slipped on wet roads. Around 12:50 a.m., a vehicle slipped on the wet road on the Dongbu Expressway heading toward Uijeongbu in Seoul, and around 3 a.m., another vehicle slipped on the southern end of Seongsu Bridge, but fortunately, there were no casualties. Currently, a total of 47 roads and underpasses are closed, including 37 in Gyeonggi and 2 in Seoul. Subway operations have been suspended on two sections: the Gyeongwon Line from Deokjeong Station to Yeoncheon Station and the Gyeongui Line from Munsan Station to Dorasan Station. Additionally, 305 trails in six national parks, including Dadohae National Park and Bukhansan National Park, have been closed.
Citizens are lining up to take taxis in front of Seoul Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Younghan
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety upgraded the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters from Level 1 to Level 2 at 7:50 a.m. and raised the heavy rain crisis alert level from 'Caution' to 'Warning.' The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters requested related ministries and local governments to mobilize all available personnel and resources to prevent heavy rain damage. They also urged rapid dissemination of information through all media, including disaster texts and warning systems, in case of dangerous situations such as sudden river water level rises, and emphasized strengthening surveillance centered on town and village officials and community leaders to prevent casualties from landslides or embankment collapses in mountainous or reservoir areas. Furthermore, they stressed the importance of proactively restricting access to vulnerable areas and facilities prone to damage from heavy rain, such as mountainous and steep slopes, riversides, lowlands, and semi-basement houses, and thoroughly implementing preemptive controls on flood-prone roads like underpasses and low-lying roads according to control standards.
Lee Sang-min, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "The top priority in disaster response is preventing casualties," and added, "Related agencies should strengthen surveillance of vulnerable areas and facilities and take bold, preemptive safety measures such as evacuation and control."
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