Early Saturday morning, with rain showing no sign of abating, the Miho River, which runs west through Cheongju, North Gyeongsang Province, was transforming into a menacing force, with its current swelling to dangerous levels.
A flood alert had been issued at around 4:10 a.m. By 6:30 a.m., the water level had breached the “critical level.”
One of the banks near the Miho Bridge collapsed, causing water to pour into the nearby fields. Some 600 meters away, cars continued to pass through the 430-meter long Gungpyeong 2 Underground Tunnel.
As the floodwaters encroached, the situation inside the tunnel quickly turned dangerous. Just 2-3 minutes after the muddy deluge began to pour into the tunnel, vehicles inside could no longer escape. A red bus that had nearly come out of the tunnel was swept back in.
When rescuers arrived at the scene, the tunnel was completely submerged. They rescued nine people clinging to the railings near the entrance of the tunnel and recovered one body.
Witnesses said a bus and several other vehicles were trapped inside the tunnel, but nothing could be seen below the expanse of muddy water. Analysis of security camera footage at the entrance to the tunnel suggested that 15 vehicles were inside, including the bus.
After hours of draining, a few vehicles started to be seen, including the red bus. Seven bodies were recovered, all from the bus.
As for 4 p.m. Sunday, rescue work is still ongoing.
