Gapyeong Heavy Rain Missing Person Search Concludes
The body of a man discovered along the Bukhan River in Gapyeong County has been confirmed as the last victim missing from last month's heavy rainfall.
On the 11th, search authorities announced that they were conducting DNA tests to verify the identity of the body found near the Cheongpyeong Natural Recreational Forest in Cheongpyeong-myeon.
Although DNA test results are not yet available, during the forensic identification process, a comparison between the body and the dental records of the missing person confirmed that it was a man in his 50s, known as Mr. A, who went missing due to the heavy rain in Gapyeong.
Mr. A was reportedly swept away along with his vehicle during a sudden downpour while camping by the river in Deokhyeon-ri, Sang-myeon, in the early hours of the 20th of last month.
The location where the body was found was about 13 km downstream from where Mr. A went missing. The body, discovered by a rescue dog from the North Gyeonggi Special Response Team, was found partially buried in sediment and was in an advanced stage of decomposition, making fingerprint analysis difficult. Identification was carried out through DNA testing and comparison of dental records.
Large-scale search operation concludes after 23 days
With the confirmation of Mr. A's body, the total number of fatalities from the heavy rains in Gapyeong has risen to seven, and the search operation for missing persons, which lasted for 23 days, has now concluded. A large number of personnel from various agencies, including fire services, police, and military, were mobilized for this search operation.
The fire service deployed a total of 11,689 personnel for the search efforts, and a national emergency mobilization order was issued, sending firefighters from various regions, including Seoul, Central, Gangwon, Sejong, and North Gyeongsang, to the area.
The police also participated in the search for missing persons with a total of 4,321 personnel, including mobile police units, while 3,720 military personnel contributed to search operations and emergency recovery activities.
Although the damage caused by this heavy rain has left significant scars on the Gapyeong region, the search operation has concluded with the recovery of the last missing person.
Image source: Provided by the North Gyeonggi Fire Disaster Headquarters
