“Rocks Keep Falling From the Mountain”: 16 Hongcheon Residents Evacuated as Storage Shed Is Buried

A landslide hit Mogok-ri in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, after residents reported hearing rocks continually falling from the mountain.

Firefighters, police and county officials deployed 10 vehicles and 22 personnel to control the area and take safety measures. No injuries had been reported, but one shed used to store farm machinery was buried.

Hongcheon County evacuated 16 residents from six households to a village community center because of the risk of another large landslide. Rocks continued to fall at the site, making access difficult.

Officials found no construction work or solar facilities near the landslide area. Weather service data showed that 45.8 millimeters of rain fell there over three days, from the 31st of the previous month through the 2nd. Authorities suspect recent rain may have weakened the ground and plan emergency repairs while investigating the cause and the full extent of the damage.