South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to “completely overhaul” the country’s approach to extreme weather from climate change after at least 40 people were killed by recent flooding and landslides during monsoon rains.
The country is at the peak of its summer monsoon season and days of torrential rain have caused widespread flooding and landslides, with rivers bursting their banks, and reservoirs and dams overflowing. More rain is forecast in the coming days.
Rescuers in South Korea say they have recovered a total of 13 bodies from a flooded road tunnel in a central city, as the death toll from flash floods and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain rose to at least 40 on Monday.
“This kind of extreme weather event will become commonplace — we must accept climate change is happening, and deal with it,” President Yeol was quoted as saying during an emergency response meeting.
He further stated that the idea that extreme weather linked to climate change “is an anomaly and can’t be helped needs to be completely overhauled, calling for “extraordinary determination” to improve the country’s preparedness and response.
Authorities in the central city of Cheongju had reported that at least, 13 people had been confirmed dead so far after their vehicles became trapped in the 685-metre-long Osong underground tunnel. Up to 15 vehicles, including a bus, were swamped by a flash flood when a riverbank broke on Saturday evening.
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Over 900 rescuers, including divers, continued to search the tunnel, which fire officials estimated filled with water in as little as two or three minutes. Yoon also ordered authorities to make an “all-out effort” to deal with the floods and promised support for recovery work, including designating special disaster zones in the hardest-hit areas.
Residents and families of the victims who were heavily critical of local authorities, accused them of presiding over a “man-made disaster” for not preemptively closing the tunnel amid torrential rain and rising water levels in a nearby river. Police said they would launch an investigation into the fatal flooding, the Yonhap news agency said.
They wondered why the North Chungcheong provincial government had not closed the low-lying tunnel, located just 600 metres away from the Miho river, even after a flood warning was issued for the river four hours before the accident, according to the Korea Times.
Responding, the provincial government said that its emergency response manual did not require the tunnel’s immediate closure under those conditions.
“It is not always mandatory to implement entry restrictions in the event of a flood warning,” Kang Jong-geun, a provincial official said. “We review the overall road situation and make decisions based on close monitoring,”
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
