Gyeonggi-do Raises Emergency Level 4 for Heavy Rain After 9 Years... 3 Casualties Reported

Kim Hee-gyeom, the First Deputy Governor of Gyeonggi Province (left), is visiting the flooded area in Janghowon, Icheon on the 2nd, talking with on-site officials.

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] As heavy rain concentrated in the central region of Gyeonggi-do caused continuous damage, the province elevated its disaster response headquarters' operational system to the highest emergency level 4 for the first time in nine years.

This is the first time since 2011 that Gyeonggi-do has organized a disaster response headquarters at emergency level 4.

Anticipating significant damage from the heavy rain, the province raised the disaster response headquarters' operational system from emergency level 2 to level 4 at 9 a.m. on the same day.

Accordingly, 40 personnel from related organizations such as Korea Electric Power Corporation, KT, provincial officials, and the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters have been deployed to the Gyeonggi-do Disaster Response Headquarters to closely monitor the status of rain damage.

At 10:30 a.m., Kim Hee-gyeom, the first deputy governor of Gyeonggi-do, visited the disaster response headquarters in Anseong City, which suffered the greatest damage, as well as the Janghowon Bridge in Icheon City and the Cheongmi Stream site, urging related officials to do their utmost to minimize damage.

Deputy Governor Kim said, "In areas where heavy rain is concentrated, such as Anseong, Icheon, Yongin, and Yeoju, deputy heads must personally inspect the sites," adding, "Especially in heavily damaged areas like Anseong, please promptly take necessary measures such as evacuating residents to safe zones."

According to the provincial disaster response headquarters, as of 2 p.m. on the 2nd, an average of 107.5 mm of rain fell across Gyeonggi-do. By region, Anseong recorded 286.5 mm, Yeoju 264 mm, and Icheon 231 mm. Notably, in Anseong City, 104 mm of rain fell within one hour from 6:57 a.m. to 7:57 a.m. on the 2nd.

This heavy rain caused a total of three casualties in the province, including one death. Additionally, 64 residents have been evacuated due to rising water levels in Cheongmi Stream in Yeoju and the collapse of the Sanyang Reservoir in Yul-myeon, Icheon.

Moreover, landslides occurred in about 70 locations including Anseong, Icheon, and Yongin. The 4-meter-high embankment holding back water at Sanyang Reservoir in Icheon collapsed, and part of the embankment at Jucheon Reservoir in Anseong was washed away.

Fifty-four houses were flooded in Anseong, Icheon, Gwangju, Yongin, and Yeoju. Flood damage to crops covering 819 hectares, including rice, vinyl greenhouses, and ginseng, also occurred in Anseong, Icheon, and Yongin.

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