Over 900 Evacuated Due to September Heavy Rain... Large Ground Subsidence Occurs in Busan

Heavy rain fell across the country overnight, causing about 900 people to evacuate in six provinces including Gyeongbuk.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' report on the response to heavy rain as of 6 p.m. on the 21st, a total of 581 households and 903 people have evacuated from 31 cities and counties in six provinces including Busan, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Jeonnam. Among them, 409 households and 613 people have not yet returned home.

Road submerged in water in Gangseo-gu, Busan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Of the evacuees, 343 households and 510 people are staying in temporary shelters, while the rest are staying at relatives' homes, senior centers, village halls, and private lodging facilities.

The heavy rain caused flooding damage to both public and private facilities. Public facilities suffered 83 cases of road flooding, 18 cases of soil erosion, 1 retaining wall collapse, and 27 other incidents.

Private facilities experienced flooding in 25 houses, 26 commercial buildings, 3 factories, 1 hospital, 2 vehicles, and 23 other cases.

In Sasang-gu, Busan, a large sinkhole approximately 10 meters wide, 5 meters long, and 8 meters deep occurred on a road. Due to the sinkhole, a drainage vehicle from the Busan Fire Headquarters that was supporting drainage on the road and a 5-ton truck passing right next to it fell into the hole. According to the Busan Fire Headquarters, no casualties were reported.

The heavy rain flooded 4,116 hectares of farmland including rice paddies and fields. The fire department rescued 37 people and carried out 331 drainage support operations and 1,753 safety measures.

Various roads, national parks, and campsites are also under control due to the heavy rain. Roads are closed at 33 locations including 8 in Gyeonggi Province, and low-water roads are closed at 32 locations including 22 in Gyeongnam Province. Access is prohibited at 316 bridges and 3,561 riverside areas.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety upgraded the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters from Level 1 to Level 2 as of 1 a.m. that day, and raised the heavy rain crisis alert level from 'Caution' to 'Warning.'