"The torrential rain was pouring down when the asphalt surface on the road collapsed into pieces in an instant, leaving the pipelines buried underneath completely exposed. Water rose up to our knees, and it is a sheer miracle that there were no casualties."

A 63-year-old construction worker surnamed Chang, working near the Bongsutgol Cherry Blossom Road in Bongpyeong-dong, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, recalled the moments of extreme heavy rain that struck two days ago.

The two-lane round-trip road, which usually welcomed spring visitors with a tunnel of cherry blossoms, bore the full brunt of the devastating, record-breaking downpour that hit just two days ago.

During spring, the 600-meter Bongsutgol Cherry Blossom Road bustles with sightseers, but the road was gouged out by rushing floodwaters and has been temporarily restored through emergency repair work filling the sections with soil and gravel.

During the heavy downpour that lashed the Tongyeong area on the 17th, the Bongsutgol road turned into a rapid torrent as the upper Yonghwa Reservoir overflowed and drainage outlets leading to the stream became blocked with tree branches and other debris.

Unable to withstand the rushing water cascading down the slope and the underground water pressure, the asphalt pavement was torn apart like sheets of paper.

The road surface was gouged out to a depth of about 1 meter, creating deep trenches, while underground pipelines were exposed to the surface.

The asphalt debris washed out at the time alone amounted to seven dump truck loads.

Although vehicle traffic has resumed following the completion of temporary repairs, the devastating scars left by the water disaster still remain visible along the roadside and in nearby alleys.

Chang emphasized, "The road has been filled with soil so cars can pass for now, but if it rains even once more, even this soil will be washed away. Temporary repairs are not enough; a complete structural overhaul is needed, starting from the drainage facilities beneath the road to repaving the asphalt."

True to Chang's words, massive chunks of asphalt pavement torn away by the fierce currents were piled up like boulders at the edge of the road, presenting an eyesore.

Surrounded by red traffic cones and caution tape and left precariously unattended, the debris made it possible to vividly realize the sheer power of the torrent that had lifted the entire asphalt surface layer.

The situation was no different around the marker stone for the nearby Jeon Hyuk-rim Art Street.

Unable to withstand the strong water pressure, the paving blocks buckled upward unevenly or caved in, and pieces of asphalt marked with clear yellow center lines were pushed up onto the sidewalk and scattered about.

In the residential area deeper inside the alley, hundreds of water-damaged cardboard boxes and other flood-soaked wastes were piled up like mountains.

A merchant in her 60s surnamed Kim who runs a shop nearby sighed, "The road in front of my shop turned into a river in an instant, and muddy water lapped right up to my doorway. Having lived and run a business here all my life, I've never seen a water disaster like this, and I worry what will happen if it pours again."

Although the city of Tongyeong rushed emergency repairs to reopen the road, it is expected to take a considerable amount of time before permanent restoration work—such as underground pipe inspections and asphalt repaving—is fully completed.

An official from the city explained, "We have already finished emergency road surface repairs to reopen traffic and urgent reinforcement of damaged water supply and sewage pipelines. We will rapidly push forward with permanent restoration plans after conducting a precise diagnosis of the affected zones."

(Photo: Yonhap News)