Evacuation Order for All Residents in Sancheong, Multiple Deaths and Missing Persons Reported
Heavy Rain Warnings Remain in Effect for Eight Cities and Counties in Western Gyeongnam
The record-breaking heavy rainfall that poured down on Gyeongnam for four consecutive days since the 16th began to subside from the afternoon of July 19. In Sancheong, an unprecedented evacuation order was issued for all residents, and there were casualties, with four people dead or missing.
On the 19th, some houses were damaged in Buri Village, Sancheong-eup, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam, causing residents and cattle to evacuate. Photo by Yonhap News
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 6 p.m. on this day, all heavy rain warnings across Gyeongnam were lifted, except for eight cities and counties in western Gyeongnam (Uiryeong, Jinju, Hadong, Sancheong, Hamyang, Geochang, Hapcheon, Sacheon).
The area most severely affected by this heavy rain was Sancheong-gun. At 1:50 p.m. on July 19, Sancheong-gun sent an emergency disaster alert to all residents in its jurisdiction, urging them to "immediately evacuate to a safe area." This was the first time a single local government had recommended evacuation to all residents due to heavy rain.
On this day alone, Jirisan in Sancheong received 329.5mm of rain, and Samjang-myeon received 274.5mm, with nearly 300mm of heavy rain concentrated in the area. The cumulative rainfall over the past four days reached 742.5mm in Sicheon-myeon and 720.5mm in Samjang-myeon.
Various parts of Sancheong-gun, which experienced continuous torrential rain, were devastated by landslides and flooding. In Buri, Sancheong-eup, two houses were buried by a landslide, leaving three people missing, and in the nearby Naeri Village, a man in his 40s died when a house was buried. The fire authorities issued a national fire mobilization order and continued search operations by deploying personnel from outside Gyeongnam.
The situation was similar in the neighboring Hapcheon-gun. An evacuation order was issued for all of Hapcheon-eup, which recorded a cumulative rainfall of 491.1mm, and in Yongju-myeon, a house was buried by a landslide.
As of this day, Gyeongnam Province announced that more than 310 cases of damage to public and private facilities, including roads, houses, and vehicles, had occurred in the province.
From the afternoon of July 19, the rain began to subside. As of 6 p.m. on this day, all heavy rain warnings were lifted in all areas except for the eight cities and counties in the west.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
