Tropical Nights Continue as Power Outages Leave Residents Stranded in the Dark

Last night (Aug. 6), an apartment complex in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, suffered a power outage, causing severe inconvenience for residents amid ongoing tropical nights.

Reporter Kim Minjun has the details.

The entire apartment building is plunged into darkness, and fire trucks dispatched for power restoration work are parked throughout the complex.

At around 8:00 p.m. last night, a blackout occurred at an apartment complex in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul.

With the electricity cut off during a tropical night, residents who could no longer bear the heat came out of their buildings.

[Resident: They said a transformer blew up, so the lights all went out. The lights in three buildings all went out. It's too hot to sleep inside, so we're out here.]

Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) stated, "It appears that the underground power facilities were flooded, causing the outage," adding, "After the fire department finishes drainage work, the apartment management will proceed with its own recovery efforts."

The Gwanak-gu Office also explained, "We guided residents to nearby elementary schools and administrative welfare centers so they could escape the heat."

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Bright red flames engulf an entire factory building.

At around 6:10 p.m. yesterday, a fire broke out at a textile dyeing factory in Bongyang-dong, Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, and was put out after about 8 hours.

A female worker in her 60s suffered severe injuries after inhaling heavy smoke, while three other workers sustained minor injuries to their arms and legs.

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At around 4:30 p.m. yesterday, an accident occurred at the Korea Electronics Technology Institute in Yatap-dong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, where about 200 ml of the hazardous substance hydrazine leaked.

Hydrazine is a chemical substance used as propellant fuel for rockets and spacecraft, and is known to be highly toxic.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, but some 300 laboratory staff members were evacuated.

Police and fire authorities believe the accident occurred while moving a storage box containing glass bottles filled with hydrazine, and are currently investigating the exact cause of the leak.

(Video reporting: Lee Sang-hak, Video editing: Kim Jun-hee)

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