Over 2,000 Disaster Victims Due to Consecutive Heavy Rain... Control Measures Expanding Nationwide

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] The number of disaster victims has exceeded 2,000 due to continuous heavy rain.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) as of 4:30 PM on the 6th, since the 1st, there have been 17 deaths and 10 missing persons caused by the heavy rain. At 11:30 AM on the same day, three vessels including a city administrative boat, a police boat, and a rubber boat capsized while performing aquatic plant island fixing work at Uiam Dam in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, resulting in one death and five missing persons.

The number of disaster victims has been counted as 2,161 people in 1,253 households across six cities and provinces, exceeding 2,000. This is an increase of 479 people in 248 households compared to the previous day's count of 1,682 people in 1,005 households. By region, Chungnam has the highest number with 747 people, followed by Chungbuk with 645, Gyeonggi with 428, Gangwon with 334, Seoul with 5, and Gyeongbuk with 2. Most of the displaced persons who have not returned home are staying at relatives' houses, village halls, or gymnasiums.

Control measures have also expanded nationwide. In regions such as Gyeonggi and Chungbuk, 56 roads have been closed, and operations on three railway lines?Taebaek Line, Yeongdong Line, and Chungbuk Line?have been partially or fully suspended.

Access has also been restricted to 347 hiking trails in 13 national parks including Jirisan, Gyeryongsan, and Seoraksan, 10 frequently flooded underground passages in Chungnam, Chungbuk, and Gyeonggi areas, and 86 riverside parking lots in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungbuk.

As rain damage continues to increase, the government is expected to declare severely affected areas as special disaster zones around the 7th. Following President Moon Jae-in's directive on the 4th, the government has begun preliminary investigations to designate severely damaged areas as special disaster zones.

The entire country is expected to remain cloudy with rain in most areas on the 7th, raising concerns about further damage. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted that until late on the night of the 6th, most areas nationwide except Seoul and Gyeonggi will receive 5 to 40 mm of rain, and continuous rain is expected nationwide from the 7th to the 8th.

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