Interior ministry orders emergency response after Geoje downpour

The interior ministry said Monday that Interior Minister Yoon Ho-joong ordered an immediate emergency rescue response after torrential rain left residents stranded in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, which has received about 647.3 millimeters of cumulative rainfall since Aug. 15.

Rainfall exceeded 100 millimeters an hour from early Monday, and Yoon directed the National Fire Agency, local governments and the National Police Agency to mobilize all available personnel and equipment for life-saving operations.

The agencies were instructed to evacuate isolated residents and provide relief support for people temporarily evacuated. "The safety of rescue personnel must be the top priority," Yoon said.

Yoon also ordered preemptive controls and evacuations at coastal lowlands, underpasses and underground parking lots, as well as locations expected to be in the rain clouds' path, including Changwon and Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province and Busan.