Sancheong landslide zone

[Anchor]

It has been revealed that the area in Gyeongnam's Sancheong, which suffered the most human casualties this time, was already designated as a landslide-prone area.

Gyeongsangnam-do had identified over 2,300 vulnerable areas but did not inform the public or take preventive measures.

Reporter Jin Jeong-eun has the details.

[Report]

This is Buri Village in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam, where three people lost their lives due to heavy rain on July 19.

The mountain behind the village collapsed in an instant from the top.

This is the report on 'Landslide-Prone Areas in Gyeongnam' prepared by Gyeongsangnam-do and submitted to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety last May.

Over 2,300 locations were designated, and evacuation shelters were identified—including Buri Village, which suffered major damage.

However, the residents of the village are unaware that the mountain behind them is a 'landslide-prone area' or where the evacuation shelters are located.

[Joo Yu-sook/Buri Village Resident, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam: "I have never worried about (landslides) because nothing like that has ever happened here..."]

Although Gyeongsangnam-do compiled a list of vulnerable areas, it did not release the information, citing concerns about personal data exposure and property values.

[Gyeongsangnam-do Public Official/Voice Altered: "The landslide information system is not publicly available, and if we disclose this (landslide-prone area), it could affect property values..."]

Even the public official in charge of Sancheong-gun was unaware of the designation, and no preventive inspections were conducted as a result.

[Public Official, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam/Voice Altered: "Buri is not designated as a landslide-prone area. It's not possible to inspect all general mountains."]

Among the 12 people who died in the recent heavy rain in Sancheong, 8 were found in homes that collapsed due to landslides, and the 5 locations where casualties occurred were areas identified by Gyeongsangnam-do as landslide-prone.

This is KBS News, Jin Jeong-eun.