Heroes Who Reached Out in the Urgent Situation of the 'Osong Disaster'

Wounded Hands... Pulling a Citizen Drifting Away in the Current

Heroes who rescued citizens amid the urgent situation where tens of thousands of tons (t) of water suddenly flooded during the 'Osong Underpass Disaster' are gaining attention.

On the 16th, 119 rescue workers are recovering a missing person found deceased at Gungpyeong 2 Underpass in Osong-eup, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, which was flooded due to the collapse of the Mihocheon embankment. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 15th at around 8:45 a.m., a levee broke due to heavy rain at a 45m section near the Cheongju-Osong steel bridge construction site close to Gungpyeong 2 Underpass in Osong, Cheongju, Chungbuk. The overflowing river water filled the underpass, flooding 17 vehicles. This incident resulted in 14 deaths and 10 injuries.

Despite the urgent situation, truck driver Yoo Byung-jo saved the lives of three citizens. According to a report by CJB Cheongju Broadcasting, Yoo was driving his truck through the underpass when the water kept rising. He broke the window and climbed onto the truck roof.

At that moment, Yoo noticed a woman in her 20s barely holding onto the truck’s side mirror and pulled her up onto the truck to rescue her. Yoo also saved two other men. He recalled the situation, saying, "The two men were floating and kept asking to be saved. Only their faces were just above the water."

On the 15th, Jeong Yeong-seok, a public official from Jeungpyeong County Office who saved other citizens while hanging from the railing of the flooded Osong underpass, revealed his hands covered in wounds from the rescue efforts. Photo by KBS

There was also a hero in a 'navy shirt' who rescued a citizen swept away by the current at the flooded site. This man is Jung Young-seok, a public official from Jeungpyeong County Office, who pulled three citizens from vehicle roofs and railings during the incident. Jung reportedly carried out desperate rescue efforts to the point where blisters burst and his hands bled.

In an interview with KBS, Jung said, "One lady couldn’t get up and was asking to be saved, so I pulled her up first," revealing the life-or-death situation at the time.

A man in his 50s, driver A, who was driving a bus trapped in the Osong underpass, is also a hero. When the bus stopped inside the underpass, A first helped 4 to 5 passengers escape and then returned to the bus, where he was caught in the accident.

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