Interior ministry starts special-disaster designation review for Tongyeong, Geoje

The interior ministry said Tuesday it had started a preliminary damage survey in Tongyeong and Geoje after record rainfall caused landslides and flooded homes and roads, forcing residents to evacuate, as it considers recommending special-disaster designations.

The rain fell in a short period and produced exceptional cumulative totals. Between Aug. 15 and 17, torrential rain along South Gyeongsang Province's southern coast brought 954.8 millimeters of rain in Geoje and 763.0 millimeters in Tongyeong. Downpours of nearly 100 millimeters an hour triggered landslides and inundated homes and roads.

The assessment is scheduled to run through Aug. 19. "Even after the rain stops, weakened ground and elevated river levels leave a risk of further damage," Interior Minister Yoon Ho-joong said. Yoon urged authorities to evacuate residents preemptively at any sign of danger.

Yoon visited the flooded underground parking garage at Tongyeong's Ilsung Yusu An Apartment, where he inspected damage and thanked disaster-safety officials and firefighters who conducted drainage operations and rescues. He urged strict management of underground spaces to prevent further flooding or accidents. At Geoje's Samdo Royal Mansion, he inspected storm damage and emergency repairs and called for the maximum deployment of personnel and equipment for recovery.

Tongyeong Mayor Kang Seok-joo asked that his city receive special-disaster designation. The ministry and local governments said they were mobilizing available resources through the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The ministry had provided 3 billion won ($2.12 million) in special grants for emergency repairs and support for displaced residents, as well as 40 million won ($28,265) for disaster-relief projects.