▲ Firefighters remove soil, branches, and debris blocking drainage pumps at the underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Misu-dong, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, on the 18th.
"I've lived here for about 10 years, and it's the first time I've ever seen it flooded like this from heavy rain."
On the afternoon of yesterday (the 18th), loud roaring noises from drainage pumps echoed near the entrance of the underground parking lot at an apartment complex in Misu-dong, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province.
A resident in his 60s, surnamed Oh, anxiously said, "The drainage is slower than expected, which is frustrating. There's one car inside, and even if the water is pumped out, I probably won't be able to use it again. But if the water is drained quickly, at least we can process the insurance claim sooner."
At this apartment complex, home to some 230 households, the underground parking lot became completely submerged due to record-breaking downpours that hit Tongyeong on the 17th.
On this day, the second day since the flooding, firefighting authorities stationed water tanker trucks and pumper trucks on both sides of the underground parking lot to continue drainage operations.
Drainage hoses were also installed not only at the parking lot entrance but also across various stairwells connecting each residential building to the underground parking lot.
However, as of this day, only about 25 percent of the estimated flooded volume (16,000 tons) has been drained, and fire authorities estimate that around 12,000 tons of water still remain inside.
The cleanup has been somewhat slow as soil and trash swept in by the record downpour float around inside the parking lot and repeatedly clog the drainage pumps.
In fact, at the scene on the afternoon of this day, firefighters could be seen wading into the water inside the parking lot to scoop out floating debris with nets, repeatedly pulling out water-soaked branches, plastic bottles, and other trash while sweating profusely.
It is estimated that there are about 70 vehicles inside the underground parking lot that residents were unable to move in time.
Residents frequently paced around the perimeter of the underground parking lot, anxiously monitoring the progress of the work.
Lim, 63, said, "When an announcement came on from the apartment around 5:20 to 5:30 yesterday morning, I went right down and moved my car out."
"At the time, the car tires were already about halfway submerged, but I'm just glad I got it out right away," Lim added. "The noise from the pumping process is quite loud, but considering there are no casualties inside, I suppose that's a relief."
Fire authorities expect that complete drainage will take at least another one to two days.
A fire official stated, "Deploying high-capacity drainage pump trucks would shorten the drainage time, but because there is so much floating debris and soil, we need to monitor the situation. We are currently utilizing all available resources to carry out the operations."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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