EMERGENCY RELIEF EFFORTS UNDERWAY

[Anchor Lead]

With more precipitation forecast for the Seoul metropolitan area, emergency relief efforts are underway in Gyeonggi-do Province to prevent additional damage from landslides.

[Pkg]

​Mud that fell from a nearby mountain covers the road. Heavy machinery has been deployed to clean it, and emergency efforts are underway to restore power. This livestock farm in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, was hit by a landslide three days ago. Excavators and trucks are moving back and forth ceaselessly. Preventing additional damage is urgent, but the workers already have their hands full cleaning the farm.

[Soundbite] CHO KWAN-HAENG(ICHEON RESIDENT) : "Excavators and dump trucks have been digging mud here since yesterday. The day before, an excavator came to move the mud to one place."

In Anseong, which bore the brunt of recent landslides, relief efforts are also underway. Locals and volunteers were busy all day cleaning this village, which was covered with piles of soil and rocks. They removed dirty water and mud from houses and cleaned the surroundings.

[Soundbite] CHANG YOUNG-JA(ANSEONG RESIDENT) : "The walls have collapsed as the bricks fell down. When it rains, the water gets inside. I am worried it may get worse if it starts raining hard."

Local governments are scrambling to prevent additional damage.

[Soundbite] LEE CHAN-JONG(ANSEONG CITY GOVERNMENT) : "We have re-opened roads that were severed. Next we will swiftly restore farmland and public facilities used by residents."]

The government of Gyeonggi-do Province dispatched teams of officials to four areas including Icheon and Anseong to monitor the situation and help with relief efforts. Some 4,000 workers and 300 units of heavy machinery were deployed to clean the flood-damaged areas.