120mm of Torrential Rain in One Day: Flooding and Collapses Across the Country

[Anchor]

Heavy rainfall across the country has led to a series of damages in various regions. In the Chungcheong region, where the rain was particularly concentrated, urgent situations unfolded as roads and shops were submerged, forcing residents to evacuate.

Reporter Yun Nara has the story.

[Reporter]

Rainwater pours down the hillside without pause.

With nearly 120mm of torrential rain falling yesterday (July 9), a hotel parking lot turned into a sea of water, and employees worked continuously to bail out water that had seeped into the restaurant.

Nearby shops also saw swollen valley water rush inside.

It is difficult to find any items that remain undamaged.

[Jegal Jeong-suk/Merchant affected by flooding: (Have you ever seen it rain this much?) This is the first time. This is a valley area, and I need to run my business, but I am at a loss right now.]

In Daejeon, two people trapped in a car on a flooded road were rescued by firefighters, and soil and debris flowing down from a mountain blocked a road, leading to a temporary closure in both directions.

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In Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, where over 170mm of rain fell over two days.

Roads next to swollen streams were submerged in muddy water, and piles of rocks the size of soccer balls, washed down from the river, have accumulated.

At around 10:00 a.m. yesterday, a man in his 70s who was walking along the Namwon Stream in Yeongju was swept away by the current and went missing.

[Oh Beom-sik/Chief of Yeongju Fire Station: We received the initial report that he had slipped while briefly coming out to the riverside with a social worker.]

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In Gangwon Province, where up to 168mm of a "water bomb" fell, 20 tons of rockfall occurred on National Route 59 in Jeongseon County, leading to a full closure of the road for a time. In Wanju, North Jeolla Province, a 1-ton truck skidded on the rainy road and overturned, leaving the driver in his 70s seriously injured.

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Train operations were also disrupted due to the heavy rain; as of yesterday afternoon, 26 high-speed trains, including KTX, and 32 regular trains were delayed.

It was reported that KTX trains were delayed by up to 80 minutes, and regular trains by up to 150 minutes.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung held a meeting to inspect the heavy rain situation with 11 central government ministries and 9 provincial governments, ordering the strengthening of response measures, such as pre-emptive control of high-risk areas and the proactive evacuation of residents.

(Video reporting: Joo Beom, Kim Min-cheol, Song Chang-geon (TJB), Lee Jeong-woo (TBC) | Video editing: Won Hyeong-hee | Footage provided by: Jeonbuk Fire Service Headquarters, Gangwon Fire Service Headquarters)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.