SEOUL: More than 2,500 rescue calls and reports of damage due to record-breaking downpours have been made in the southeastern region, authorities said Tuesday (Aug 18).
A total of 2,574 reports had been filed as of 6am Tuesday over cases including home and road inundation and toppled trees, as the heavy rain battered South Gyeongsang Province and neighboring regions from Saturday, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. Rescue operations accounted for 162 of the cases.
As of Monday, one person had died and four others had been injured due to the rain. The death and two of the injuries were triggered by a landslide that struck an apartment building in the city of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, the previous day.
Over 560 people evacuated due to rain in South Gyeongsang Province, the neighboring city of Busan and the southern island of Jeju.
Of them, 316 have returned home, while 248 others remained unable to do so.
The reported damage cases also included power outages and water supply disruptions.
Cumulative precipitation from midnight of Friday to 5am Tuesday reached 956.1 millimeters in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province; 766.9 mm in Tongyeong; 518.0 mm on Gadeok Island, Busan; 477.0 mm in Seongsan, Jeju; and 430.5 mm in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.
While heavy rain alerts have all been lifted, 255 sections across three national parks and 306 hazardous areas, including riverside walking paths and low-level bridges, remain restricted.
Railroads, flights and ferries are currently operating normally. - Yonhap
