Gov’t inspection launched into deadly underpass flooding in Osong

The government launched an inspection into what went wrong in the response to the recent deadly flooding of an underground roadway in the central town of Osong, which has claimed 13 lives, a government office said Monday.

The underground roadway in western Cheongju, located 112 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was flooded Saturday morning when the nearby Miho River overflowed after an embankment was brought down by rising water levels due to heavy rain, leaving at least 16 vehicles, including a bus, trapped under water.

Rescuers pulled four more bodies from the flood-hit underground tunnel overnight, bringing the death toll to 13. Casualties could rise as rescuers continue an operation to drain and search the underpass.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination said it has undertaken an inspection aimed at discovering the causes behind the deadly flooding.

The inspection aims to determine “the reasons why the precious lives of people could not be protected,” the office said, adding all related government agencies will be subject to scrutiny.

The office also said all necessary actions will be taken against those found responsible, including disciplinary action, referral for criminal investigation or system reforms.

Earlier in the day, police also said they plan to form a special investigation unit to be in charge of the case to look into why a traffic restriction was not imposed for the underpass despite prior flood warnings issued for the nearby river and whether the embankments alongside the Miho River have been properly managed.

The office said it has confirmed that there were two emergency calls requesting a traffic restriction for the underpass in the two hours prior to the deadly flooding.

Officials began the inspection by seizing documents to look into whether there were other emergency reports filed with the regional government, police or fire offices and what action the offices had taken in response.

The office also plans to scrutinize what advance safety measures were taken by such regional offices to illuminate why a timely traffic restriction was not imposed around the underpass.