Typhoon Kirovan Causes Fatal Crane Collapse and Delays Over 80 Flights in Jeju

[Anchor]

Although the country experienced mostly clear weather today (Sept. 4), Jeju was battered by strong winds and high waves due to the influence of Typhoon Kirovan. The fierce winds caused a crane to collapse at a pier, leaving one person dead, while operations of aircraft and vessels faced disruptions.

Here is a report from JIBS reporter Kim Jae-yeon.

[Reporter]

An airplane approaches the runway, battling strong winds.

The moment it attempts to land, the aircraft sways violently from side to side.

Precarious landings continue amid the gale-force winds.

Jeju International Airport, which had both strong wind and wind shear advisories issued simultaneously, experienced disruptions in operations, with more than 80 flights delayed.

Gale-force winds exceeding 20 meters per second swept across Jeju due to the indirect influence of the typhoon.

Damages also followed one after another.

At Jeju Port, a crane loaded on a barge collapsed, resulting in an accident where two workers in their 50s were pinned underneath.

The Coast Guard believes the accident occurred while they were carrying out repair work on the steel flooring of the barge's deck amid the strong winds.

[Accident Witness: As it was tipping over, I realized something was terribly wrong. But the vehicle was on the verge of tipping, teetering back and forth... And then it just tipped right over, it happened in a split second.]

Maritime routes, including passenger ferries connecting Jeju to its subsidiary islands, were also disrupted.

With high wave warnings issued for all waters off Jeju, some areas were upgraded to high wave alerts as waves rose up to 5 meters.

These strong winds and high waves were caused by the indirect influence of Typhoon Kirovan, the 24th typhoon of the season.

The typhoon, which has approached waters about 500 kilometers away from Jeju, is showing an unusual path by suddenly making a U-turn. While it will not directly affect Jeju, it is expected to linger in these waters for about five days.

The Korea Meteorological Administration urged special caution regarding facility management and safety accidents, stating that the strong winds and high waves will continue until the 8th as the typhoon gradually weakens.

(Video by: Yoon In-soo, Ko Seung-han from JIBS, Footage provided by: Jeju Fire Safety Headquarters)

JIBS Kim Jae-yeon
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.