Four Days of Heavy Rain Cause 14 Deaths, 12 Missing... Over 1,000 Evacuees

On the 3rd, when a heavy rain warning was issued for the central region, Yeoui IC, viewed from Yeouidaebang-ro in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, is completely closed to traffic due to the swollen Han River caused by the heavy rain. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] The scale of damage caused by heavy rain that has continued for four days in the Seoul metropolitan area and central regions is rapidly increasing like a snowball.

With the discovery of additional fatalities, the death toll has risen to 14, while the number of disaster victims has exceeded 1,000, and about 7,000 hectares of farmland have been submerged or buried.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) tally as of 4:30 PM on the 4th, a total of 14 people have died and 12 are missing due to the heavy rain since the 1st. Seven people have been injured.

Two missing persons?a man in his 50s who fell into a manhole in Asan, Chungnam, and a man in his 70s swept away by a rapid stream in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi on the same day?were found dead on the 4th, increasing the death toll by two.

The number of disaster victims reached 1,025 from 629 households, an increase of about 100 people compared to the previous day. By region, Chungbuk has the highest number with 555 people, followed by Gyeonggi with 391, Gangwon with 70, and Seoul with 9.

Among the disaster victims, only 96 households with 196 people have returned home, while the remaining 533 households with 829 people are still temporarily staying at relatives' homes, gymnasiums, senior centers, and village halls.

The number of people temporarily evacuated reached 2,228, an increase of more than 500 compared to the previous day. Among them, 1,429 are in Gyeonggi, 465 in Chungbuk, 243 in Chungnam, 48 in Gangwon, and 40 in Sejong.

Property damage is also increasing. Since the 1st of this month, a total of 3,006 facility damages (1,483 private facilities and 1,513 public facilities) have been reported, an increase of 575 cases compared to the previous day.

Housing damage due to flooding or soil outflow amounts to 815 cases, with 522 cases of damage to livestock barns and warehouses, and 146 cases involving vinyl greenhouses.

The area of farmland damage has tentatively been estimated at 7,192 hectares, an increase of 3,580 hectares from the previous day. Of this, 6,639 hectares were flooded, 509 hectares were lost or buried, and 44 hectares suffered fruit drop.

Damage to public facilities such as collapse, breakage, and flooding includes 728 cases involving roads and bridges, 405 cases related to railways, 224 landslides, 137 river damages, and 19 cases involving reservoirs and drainage channels.

Among the 3,006 facility damages, emergency repairs have been completed for 1,534 cases, accounting for 51.0%. Emergency repairs were carried out at 41 railway sites including the Yeongdong Line, 24 road sites, and 7 reservoirs.

Emergency repair efforts involved 36,595 personnel including public officials, firefighters, police officers, and volunteers, as well as 2,201 pieces of equipment such as dump trucks and pumps.

As guerrilla-style heavy rain continues, many roads and railways remain blocked.

Roads at 41 locations, including the Jamsu Bridge in Seoul and areas in Gyeonggi and Chungcheong, are currently closed. Six railway lines including the Chungbuk Line, Jungang Line, Taebaek Line, Yeongdong Line, Gyeonggang Line, and Janghang Line have all or partially suspended operations.

Access continues to be restricted on 251 hiking trails across nine national parks including Bukhansan, Taebaeksan, and Songnisan, as well as 16 frequently flooded underground passages in Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, and Gyeongbuk regions, and 92 riverside parking lots in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungbuk.

Rescue and evacuation efforts by firefighting authorities have saved a total of 1,412 people over the four days.

Since the 1st, firefighting authorities have mobilized 8,829 personnel and 3,189 pieces of equipment to rescue 977 people, carried out 2,752 safety measures including clearing houses and roads, and provided 1,142 cases of water supply and drainage support.

The National Fire Agency reported that as heavy rain damage increased, the average daily number of rescue cases this month reached 1,249, a 41% increase from 887 cases at the end of last month. During the same period, the average daily number of rescued people also rose by 61% to 280.

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