▲ Police investigators examine an underground roadway in the town of Osong, Cheongju, South Korea, on July 20, 2023, where 14 people were killed following the overflowing of a nearby river triggered by torrential rain on July 15. (Yonhap)

underpass flooding-investigation

Gov't decides to refer 36 people for investigation over deadly underpass flooding

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- The government said Friday that it will refer an additional 18 people to the prosecution for investigation, accusing them of mishandling the deadly flooding of an underpass in the central city of Cheongju earlier this month, which claimed 14 lives.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination, under the Prime Minister's Office, conducted an inspection to determine the causes behind the tragic flooding and detected criminal suspicions involving a total of 36 people.

The underground roadway in western Cheongju, 112 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was flooded on July 15 after an embankment was brought down by rising water level, submerging several vehicles, including a bus.

Among them are 34 public officials from five government agencies, including the North Chungcheong regional government and the National Agency for Administrative City Construction, the office said.

Some of the officials allegedly failed to properly manage and supervise the embankment, while others did not promptly respond to emergency calls urging traffic restrictions around the underpass before the accident occurred.

The inspection revealed a total of three calls were made to the 112 and 119 hotlines on the day of the flooding, indicating that there were "numerous warnings" that could have prevented the incident.

Furthermore, two other individuals demolished the original embankment and constructed a feeble emergency embankment without reporting the change to the authorities.

In consideration of the gravity of the situation, the government launched the inspection just two days after the accident.

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