Severe Damage from Heavy Rain in Sancheong, Double Hardship for Wildfire Victims
Sancheong-gun in Gyeongnam recently suffered severe damage due to a record-breaking rainfall of 798.0 mm over four days. In particular, the region of Sicheon-myeon, which experienced a large wildfire in March, has seen extensive damage due to the heavy rain.
Victims of the wildfire in Sancheong-gun, who have lost their homes, are currently living in temporary accommodations arranged by the county and are facing even more difficulties due to this rainfall.
According to the Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters and Gyeongnam Province, as of 6 a.m. on the 20th, the casualty count related to the heavy rainfall stood at 6 dead, 2 seriously injured, and 7 missing. Most of the missing individuals are presumed to be buried under debris caused by landslides.
At around 7:17 p.m. the previous day, one resident was found dead in a paddy field in Hakgye-ri, Saengbiryang-myeon. At approximately 12:35 p.m. on the same day, two individuals, including a man in his 70s, died when a house was swept away by a landslide in Buri village, Sancheong-eup, and one person went missing.
In Bangmok-ri, Danseong-myeon, part of a house was also washed away, resulting in the death of a man in his 70s and another missing person.
Additionally, at around 10:46 a.m., two victims, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 70s, lost their lives due to a buried house in Naeri village, Sancheong-eup. At 5:15 p.m., a resident was reported missing after being swept away by water in Beomhak-ri, Sancheong-eup.
Rescue operations in inundated areas continued, and at around 5:44 p.m., 34 individuals, including guests and residents, were rescued from a nearby pension in Danseong-myeon, while 9 individuals isolated on a farm in Saengbiryang-myeon were rescued at 8:56 p.m.
Record Rainfall and Response System
Sancheong-gun has an average annual precipitation of 1,556.2 mm, but the rainfall over the past four days reached 798.0 mm, nearly half of the annual average concentrated in a short period. This has resulted in 496 cases of facility damage, including road washouts, river flooding, and house inundation.
On the 19th, Sancheong-gun issued an evacuation order to all its approximately 33,000 residents, marking an unprecedented case where a single local government has recommended evacuation for all residents due to a natural disaster.
Currently, landslide warnings are in effect in Jinju, Uiryeong, Changnyeong, and Sancheong, while landslide advisories remain in place for Ham-an, Goseong, Hamyang, Geochang, and Hapcheon. A total of 6,848 people from 5,255 households have been evacuated due to concerns over landslides and flooding, with 2,306 households and 3,167 individuals still unable to return home.
A video shared by a netizen shows the severity of the situation as debris flows in Yulhyeon-ri, Sindeung-myeon in Sancheong.
The National Fire Agency issued a 'National Fire Mobilization Order' for landslide response in the Sancheong area starting from 1 p.m. on the 19th. Gyeongnam Province maintains a Level 3 emergency disaster response system, controlling 310 locations, including bridges, roads, and riverbanks.
From the 16th to the 18th, the average rainfall in the Gyeongnam region was 280.7 mm, with specific areas recording the following amounts: Sancheong (Sicheon) 798.0 mm, Hapcheon (Hoeyang) 712.0 mm, Hadong (Okjong) 661.0 mm, Changnyeong (Docheon) 599.0 mm, Ham-an (Haman) 583.5 mm, Jinju (Daepyeong) 570.5 mm, Uiryeong (Togok) 563.5 mm, and Miryang (Gugi) 517.5 mm.
Image source: Sancheong, Saengbiryang-myeon submerged by heavy rain / News1, On the morning of the 20th, rescue workers, including firefighters, are searching for missing persons at the landslide site in Buri, Sancheong-eup / News1
