[Anchor]
Hit by both heavy rain damage and a heatwave, Geoje and Tongyeong in Gyeongsangnam-do are facing a double crisis. While all-out efforts are underway to clear washed-in mud and debris, scorching sweltering heat is hindering recovery efforts.
KNN reporter Jung Hyo-jung has the story.
[Reporter]
Recovery work is in full swing under the blazing sun.
Workers scoop up soil with shovels and move wooden boards one by one.
A week after the heavy downpours passed, the sites are even more challenging due to the heatwave.
[Lee Soon-ja / President, Gyeongnam Volunteer Association: The weather is so hot and it is so hard. It is difficult, I feel dizzy, and it is agonizing.]
With heatwave warnings even issued, the pace of work continues to slow down.
[Kim Yong-bae / Worker: It is very difficult. It is hard, and when you lift a shovel like this, the weather is so hot that it takes your breath away.]
The sea squirt seed culture facility, where the entire installation was submerged in rainwater, has no foreseeable prospect of when it will return to normal despite continuous recovery efforts.
To prevent anyone from collapsing from the heat, workers continue recovery in shifts.
Amid the midday heat, the internal temperature of the aquaculture facility has risen close to 40°C (104°F).
Even in this scorching site, recovery work by volunteers continues.
Tongyeong, where only Sanyang-eup and Bongpyeong-dong have been declared special disaster zones, faces even greater difficulties.
With recovery relying solely on private efforts, progress is slow.
[Ahn Sook-yeon / Docheon-dong, Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do: It would be nice if they designated it (as a special disaster zone), but it seems they won't do it just for our household, which is unfortunate.]
Armed with strong physical stamina, soldiers who stepped up for damage recovery instead of national defense are having an equally tough time.
[Lee Seung-jin / Company Commander, Sub-battalion of the 39th Infantry Division: It is impossible not to feel the burden. We are proceeding in a way where some groups rest while others work.]
As of today (the 24th), the emergency recovery rates for Geoje and Tongyeong remain in the 70 percent range, still falling far short of returning to daily life.
With a heatwave following heavy rain and delayed recovery, the inconvenience and heartbreak of affected residents continue to grow.
(Video Journalist: Ahn Myung-hwan / KNN)
Jung Hyo-jung, KNN
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.