Woman in Her 30s Falls Into Manhole During 145mm Downpour in Busan... Rescued by Local Shopkeepers

Manhole Cover Dislodged by Torrential Rain, Woman in Her 30s Falls In
Nearby Shopkeepers Rescue Her; No Injuries Reported

In the early morning of the 4th, record-breaking heavy rain hit Busan, causing a manhole cover to be dislodged by backflow and resulting in an accident in which a woman in her 30s fell into the manhole while walking down the street. On this day, up to 145.5 mm of rain fell in the Busan area. At around 2:33 a.m., a report was received that a person identified as A had fallen into a manhole while walking along a street in Yeonsan-dong, Yeonje-gu, Busan. Police and fire authorities were immediately dispatched. Due to the heavy rainfall, water backflow caused the manhole cover to open.

At around 2:33 a.m. on the 14th, the fire department took safety measures regarding an open manhole in Yeonsan-dong, Yeonje-gu, Busan. Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters

A, who did not notice the open manhole, was walking under an umbrella when she fell in. Two nearby shopkeepers who witnessed the incident used poles and other tools to descend more than 2 meters into the manhole and rescue her. In an interview with SBS, one of the rescuers recalled, "There was a ladder, but it was submerged up to here, and she was only able to breathe, completely exhausted." According to fire authorities, fortunately, A was not injured and returned home on her own.

Earlier, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced that 145.5 mm of rain had fallen in Busan from midnight to 9:30 a.m. on that day. Due to the heavy rain, Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters received 36 reports of rain-related damage by 1 p.m. The police also received a total of 74 emergency calls related to rain damage.

In August 2022, a similar accident occurred in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where a brother and sister in their 40s and 50s died after falling into a manhole during torrential rain. During periods of heavy rain, manholes can become urban time bombs. Although the installation of manhole fall-prevention devices has been mandatory since 2022, the actual installation rate remains extremely low. In addition, there is growing criticism of local governments' inadequate safety management in areas prone to frequent flooding. Inside manholes, ladders are installed to allow access to the sewer pipes, but in this recent rescue, the ladder, which had been fixed with tape, was damaged. With rapid climate change expected to bring more torrential rains this year, there are increasing calls for urgent safety measures during the monsoon season.