3 Dead in Busan Underpass... So Narrow That Escape Is Impossible in Emergencies

On the 23rd, firefighters dispatched to the No.1 Underpass near Busan Station in Choryang-dong, Dong-gu, Busan, where heavy rain fell, are seen conducting rescue operations. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] As heavy rain exceeding 80mm per hour poured down in Busan, turning the downtown area into a flood, an accident occurred in which three people were trapped and died in a submerged underpass.

Yang Hee-jun, a Busan resident who stated that he commutes through the Choryang 1st Underpass where the casualties occurred, said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 24th, "Since I went to work yesterday (the 23rd), it rained all day. The sky kept pouring rain showers throughout the day," adding, "I talked with my coworkers, saying 'How can it keep raining this much?'"

He said, "I always use that underpass on my way to work," but "I received a warning message on my way home, so I did not go through the underpass."

Yang pointed out the structure of the underpass. He said, "It is a very small underpass where the ceiling almost touches a passing tourist bus," and added, "So when it suddenly rains, the water fills up so quickly that detours or anything like that are impossible due to the narrow road."

Regarding the current flood damage situation in Busan, he explained, "In places like Yeonsan-dong, seeing the streets flooded like a river makes me realize 'It really rained a lot.'"

Earlier, at around 10:18 p.m. on the 23rd, the Choryang 1st Underpass in Choryang-dong, Dong-gu, Busan, was flooded, and three people?a man in his 60s, a woman in her 30s, and a man in his 50s?were unable to evacuate in time and died.

Due to the heavy rain in a short period, the underpass, which is 3.5 meters high, was filled with water up to 2.5 meters, and several vehicles were reported to be trapped.

According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, as of 5 a.m. on the 24th, a total of 209 reports of rain damage had been received.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.