Casualties Reported as Strong Winds Batter Jeju for Second Consecutive Day

Jeju, trapped between a low-pressure system to the south and a high-pressure system to the north, is suffering a succession of damages as strong winds lash the island for the second consecutive day.

According to the Jeju Regional Meteorological Administration, strong northeasterly winds driven by a pressure gradient are flowing into Jeju, which is situated between a high-pressure system moving east from northeastern China and a southern low-pressure system formed by Typhoon Krovan.

As a result, strong wind advisories have been issued across all land areas of Jeju, while gale warnings are in effect for the offshore waters.

As of 2:00 PM today, the maximum instantaneous wind speeds recorded at major locations were 24.6 meters per second at Sajebi in Mount Halla, 23.1 meters per second at Mara Island, 22 meters per second at Udo, 19.3 meters per second at Gapa Island, 18.9 meters per second at Saebyeol Oreum, 18.5 meters per second at Jeju International Airport, 17.8 meters per second at Gosan, and 15.9 meters per second at Seongsan.

According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Fire and Safety Headquarters, a total of 41 rescue, emergency, and safety measures have been carried out over the past two days due to the strong winds.

Fire authorities rescued two people who were isolated on coastal rocks due to high waves along the coast of Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, yesterday afternoon. They also transported to hospitals a person injured after being struck by blowing debris in Beobhwan-dong, Seogwipo, and another person injured after colliding with a wind barrier while doing weeding work in Gujwa-eup, Jeju.

In addition, from early yesterday morning until late evening, safety measures were taken across various regions of the province for 36 different incidents, including falling exterior building materials, leaning utility poles, damaged traffic lights, swaying road signs, toppled trees, and fallen median dividers.

Today, safety measures were handled by fire authorities following reports of a toppled tree in Hanlim-eup, Jeju, at around 9:06 AM, and a risk of a falling solar panel from a lighthouse in Aewol-eup, Jeju, at around 11:00 AM.

Notably, although not officially tallied under the Fire and Safety Headquarters' strong wind damage statistics, a crane working on a barge moored at Jeju Port toppled yesterday afternoon, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured.

At the time of the accident, Geonip-dong in Jeju, where Jeju Port is located, was experiencing strong winds of 20.5 meters per second.

The Coast Guard is investigating the exact cause of the accident, believing that the crane toppled due to strong winds while repair work was being conducted on the bottom steel plate of the barge.

With strong wind advisories for northern Jeju and Chuja Island forecasted to be lifted on the morning of the 7th, and those for eastern, western, and southern Jeju expected to be lifted at dawn on the 8th, concerns over additional wind damage persist.

Jeju Island has urged citizens to take care in managing various outdoor facilities and to refrain from entering beaches, coastal rocks, or breakwaters until the strong wind and high wave warnings are lifted.

(Photo provided by Jeju Fire and Safety Headquarters, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.