Credit: Al jazeera.com
At least nine people were found dead after water clogged the streets of Seoul. 17 other people are also reported injured and seven people are still missing, South Korea’s Interior and Safety Ministry said.
Three of the nine people dead were trapped in a basement. One was electrocuted while moving a fallen tree from the roadside. And another one was trapped inside a flooded shop.
It has also been relieved by the Chinese foreign affairs Ministry that the other two individuals found dead were Chinese citizens.
Seoul, South Korea’s capital city has been flooded after heavy rainfall since Monday. The metropolitan state is witnessing the worst downpour in 80 years, the Yonhap news agency reported.
All transit in the capital is on hold; the waters have even flooded houses and subway stations.
Forecasters of Seoul have warned of more flood and rainfall in the coming days.Â
Credit: Accweather.com
The turbulent rain has considerably slowed down on Wednesday but forecasters predict an additional 11.8 inches of rain through Thursday. More downpours could result in mudslides or more streets clogging.
The destruction done by the rain was immense, at least 2,800 buildings like homes, offices, warehouses, cars, and shops were damaged.
Though the South Korean government has been efficient in cleaning up the aftermath of the situation; most of the buildings are already repaired or undergoing maintenance as of this morning.
The damages to the infrastructure resulted in the evacuation of at least 500 people on Monday night.
The ministry is providing relief aid like blankets, tents, and food to the evacuated people. Rescue and cleanup services are already dispatched and working on helping the Seoul citizens.
145 people are reported to be rescued now.
Photos are flooding the social media apps where people are sharing pictures of flooded markets, stores, and people wading through thigh-high waters to cross the roads.
There are also images depicting the aftermath of the situation, wreckage, and damaged structures, rundown shops with shop owners trying to salvage their stuff.
The Korean Forest Service has issued red alerts for landslides in several regions in the city.
The highest record of rainfall
During the heavy rain, at one point it was recorded that Seoul has experienced the highest rate of rain since 1907, i.e 141.5 millimeters.
Worst affected regions
The worst hit from the rain was taken by regions near the Han river. This part of Seoul also includes posh and modern areas like the Gangnam district. These regions also experienced heavy flooding with the power being shut down.
The President’s response
Yoon Suk Yeol, the current South Korean President expressed sorrow and sent condolences to the victims on Tuesday.
He also criticized the country’s response to handling disasters and the need to review its management conduct in such situations.
President Yoon’s response is expected due to the current climate change crisis which is going to become increasingly worse shortly.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration officials, the sharp increase in precipitation is a direct result of the current climate crisis.
A lot of Asian countries are experiencing harsher weather since the start of monsoon this year.
As the Earth continues to get warmer, there is going to be a lot more alertness regarding disaster management.
How to handle the Climate crisis?
Oscar-winning South Korean movie “Parasite” highlighted the disparities between the rich and the poor class, one of the main events in the movie revolved around floods. The poor protagonists were displaced from their slums to a shelter after the water had flooded their houses while the rich people enjoyed the rain.
This event is a good reflection of real-world South Korea where the poor and helpless would be the most affected by climate crisis.
The threat of harsher droughts, rainfalls, and other severe weather conditions is coming increasingly closer to us.
The Climate crisis is going to change the lives of billions of people throughout the world and most of us should start taking precautions from now on.
Being aware and alert about weather news and motivating other people around you to learn about climate change is the first step forward. The next step is a little bit hard but trying to use safer and renewable means of energy like solar or wind is going to significantly make a difference in your life.
