A total of approximately 28,000 water-related accidents have been reported over the past three years.

According to the National Fire Agency, there were 28,083 water-related accidents from 2023 to last year, caused by factors such as water activities and heavy rainfall.

By year, the number of accidents decreased from 9,973 in 2023 to 8,551 in 2024, before rising again to 9,559 last year.

By month, July saw the highest number of water-related accidents with 7,761 cases (27.6%), followed by August with 5,259 cases (18.7%) and September with 2,649 cases (9.4%).

The most common types of accidents were flooding (7,075 cases, 25.2%), drowning during water activities (3,151 cases, 11.2%), drifting in water (1,074 cases, 3.8%), and accidents in valleys or rapids (724 cases, 2.6%).

There were also 509 cases (1.8%) of vehicles falling into water and becoming submerged, and 245 cases (0.9%) of drowning while gathering seafood.

The National Fire Agency will operate 119 Citizen Water Rescue Teams at 275 high-risk water accident areas across the country until the end of next month.

The rescue teams will carry out activities such as rescuing drowning victims, patrolling waterfronts, and identifying and removing potential hazards.

The National Fire Agency advised, "Entering the water after drinking or swimming at night carries a high risk of accidents and should be avoided," adding, "People should not approach areas prone to flooding when heavy rain is expected or weather warnings are in effect."

(Photo: Yonhap News)