Heavy rain and high tide in Geoje trigger flooding and landslides... Fire response raised to Level 2

[Financial News] In the early hours of the 17th, torrential rain hit Geoje in South Gyeongsang Province, and high tide added to the damage, causing flooding in homes and vehicles as well as landslides. Fire authorities raised the response level to Level 2 and deployed more than 180 personnel and special rescue teams to rescue and evacuate stranded residents.
According to the National Fire Agency, the combination of heavy rain and high tide in Geoje caused a sharp increase in 119 emergency calls related to flooding and other damage. Geoje Fire Station issued a Level 1 response at 1:10 a.m. and upgraded it to Level 2 at 6:18 a.m.
The NFA urgently dispatched the National 119 Rescue Headquarters, the Yeongnam 119 Special Rescue Team, the Honam 119 Special Rescue Team, and the Ulsan 119 Chemical Rescue Center to the scene. Special equipment, including a high-capacity water cannon system, was also sent. Since 2:40 a.m., the agency has been operating its emergency response team to closely monitor the situation on site.
The NFA also sent an on-site situation manager to support field response and command. Geoje Fire Station and the Gyeongsangnam-do Fire Department activated their emergency rescue control centers.
At present, more than 180 personnel, including teams from Geoje Fire Station, the Gyeongsangnam-do Fire Department's 119 Special Rescue Unit, and fire stations in Tongyeong, Jinju, and Goseong County, Gangwon Province, are working on rescue operations, evacuations, and safety measures in flooded areas.
Across Geoje, rescue efforts are continuing for residents stranded by flooding in homes and vehicles, as well as landslides. In Yesol Village in Aju-dong, more than 100 residents were guided to evacuate to safer areas. In Hoejin Village in Ilun-myeon, about 30 stranded residents were rescued and evacuated.
Rescue and safety operations are also continuing in Dundeok-myeon, Sadeung-myeon, Jangpyeong-dong, Geoje-myeon, and Gohyeon-dong. 
In nearby Tongyeong, Tongyeong Fire Station has also activated its emergency rescue control center and is responding to the heavy rain. 
Fire authorities said they will continue rescue and evacuation efforts while checking flood- and landslide-prone areas to prevent further damage.
Acting NFA Commissioner Choi Yong-cheol instructed officials to "make saving lives the top priority in rescue operations caused by heavy rain, thoroughly check risk factors in flooded areas, and then carry out field operations." He also ordered authorities to secure the safety of firefighters on site and deploy as much available firepower as possible, including drainage support vehicles.
The NFA is sharing weather and damage updates with related agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of National Defense, the Korea Meteorological Administration, and the Korea Forest Service, while maintaining a system to support personnel and equipment needed for evacuations and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung also issued an emergency order to the NFA, local governments, the National Police Agency, and other related agencies to mobilize all available personnel and equipment and do their utmost to save lives, including evacuating stranded residents. Yoon also called for full support for relief efforts so that temporarily evacuated residents do not face inconvenience, and ordered preemptive controls in low-lying coastal areas, underpasses, and underground parking lots. In particular, he instructed authorities to carry out thorough advance restrictions and evacuations in Changwon, Gimhae, and Busan, where rain clouds are expected to move. He also ordered that the safety of personnel engaged in rescue operations be secured as the top priority.
 

[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter