Urgent Recovery Hindered by Heatwave: "Hard to Even Lift a Shovel"

[Anchor]

In Geoje and Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, which were battered by heavy downpours, military units and volunteers have stepped up to conduct flood recovery operations. Although mountains of mud and debris remain to be cleared, the issuance of heatwave warnings is making recovery efforts extremely difficult.

KNN reporter Jung Hyo-jung.

[Reporter]

Under the scorching sun, recovery work is in full swing.

Workers scoop up mud with shovels and carry wooden planks away one by one.

A week after the heavy rain passed, the site has become even more grueling due to the heatwave.

[Lee Soon-ja / President, Gyeongnam Volunteer Association: The weather is too hot and it is so tough. It is exhausting, I feel dizzy, and it is absolute agony.]

With heatwave warnings even in effect, the pace of work continues to slow down.

[Kim Yong-bae / Worker: It is very difficult. It is hard, and the weather is so hot that just lifting a shovel takes my breath away.]

At a sea squirt seed culture facility where the entire infrastructure was submerged by rainwater, there is still no promise of when normal operations can resume despite continuous recovery efforts.

Workers take turns carrying out recovery work to prevent anyone from collapsing from the heat.

Amid the midday heatwave, the temperature inside the fish farm has risen close to 40°C (104°F).

Despite the sweltering conditions, volunteers continue their recovery work without stopping.

Tongyeong faces even greater hardships, as only Sanyang-eup and Bongpyeong-dong have been declared special disaster zones.

With recovery relying solely on private efforts, progress remains slow.

[Ahn Sook-yeon / Docheon-dong, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province: It would be great if they designated us as a special disaster zone, but it seems unlikely they will do so just for our household, which is quite regrettable.]

Troops who put aside national defense duties to take on disaster recovery armed with strong stamina are finding the work just as grueling.

[Lee Seung-jin / Company Commander, Sub-battalion of the 39th Infantry Division: It is inevitable that there is pressure. We are proceeding by having some groups rest while others rotate to do the work.]

The emergency recovery rates in Geoje and Tongyeong remain in the 70% range, which is still far short of restoring everyday life.

As recovery is delayed by a heatwave following torrential rains, the inconvenience and heartbreak of affected residents continue to grow.

(Video by Ahn Myung-hwan / KNN)

Jung Hyo-jung, KNN
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.