Monsoon Rain Damage

[Anchor Lead]

The Seoul metropolitan area bore the brunt of torrential rains in Korea on July 5. In our next report, we’ll bring you an update on the damage caused by the monsoon rains.

[Pkg]

Part of this fence in a residential area has collapsed. The broken fence damaged the roofs and exterior walls of two nearby houses, prompting 16 residents to evacuate.

[Soundbite] Official from Gwanak-gu Office(Voice altered) : "The ground has become weak because of the rain. When the fence collapsed, it fell onto the roofs in lower areas because it's a slanted area."

A 10-meter-tall retaining wall also collapsed due to the heavy downpour.

[Soundbite] Victim(Voice altered) : "I heard a loud noise similar to the sound of thunder. When I went outside, I saw that all the stone walls had fallen into my yard."

Two houses in Gyeonggi-do Province were washed away by water-soaked soil after their retaining walls collapsed.

[Soundbite] Park Ok-ja(Victim) : "I grabbed my child who was trapped inside and pulled him outside. Then the house collapsed. It happened just 30 seconds after we got outside."

A truck became submerged in a river where water rose over its banks in a matter of seconds because of the torrential rain. Rescue workers managed to save the driver and the passenger upon receiving an emergency call. Power outages occurred in some areas when trees in parks fell on high-tension power lines. Residents in one apartment building were inconvenienced by simultaneous blackouts and flooding as rain damage struck the Seoul metropolitan area.