ICICLES ON HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS

[Anchor Lead]

Amid this severe cold snap, giant icicles have formed on high-rise buildings in downtown areas. Work is being done to remove the icicles, which are likely to melt and fall off when temperatures rise.

[Pkg]

Firefighters are removing a massive icicle formed on the outside of an apartment building with a motor drill. The icicle is some 20 meters long, covering the wall from the third to the 12th floor. It formed on the outer wall after a frozen water pipe burst and gushed out water. In 2018, a pedestrian was hit and injured by a large falling icicle in Seoul. Aboard a ladder truck, firefighters are approaching the 17th floor of an apartment building to remove a giant icicle that looks like a water fall. As it is smashed with an axe, fragments of the icicle fall to the ground. It takes three hours to remove icicles from one wall. In Guri, Gyeonggi-do Province, a firefighter climbed up a wall on a rope to remove icicles.

[Soundbite] IM YOUNG-HOON(FIREFIGHTER) : "A pipe joint burst and water was continuing to fall down. It was found late."

In Jincheon, Chungcheongbuk-do Province,even a firefighting drone was mobilized for an icicle removal operation. Fire authorities are warning against possible accidents, saying icicles will melt and fall off when the temperature gradually goes up from Tuesday and return to seasonal norms.

[Soundbite] KIM HONG-PIL(DAEJEON YUSEONG FIRE STATION) : "We are asking people not to try to remove icicles by themselves. Please call 119 and have firefighters remove them safely."

During the ten-day cold snap, the emergency call line 119 received 735 requests to remove icicles.