A road in Geoje is submerged and closed to traffic after heavy rain lashed South Gyeongsang Province on Monday. [Provided by reader]
A road in Geoje is submerged and closed to traffic after heavy rain lashed South Gyeongsang Province on Monday. [Provided by reader]

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters decided Monday to release 3 billion won ($2.12 million) in emergency special grants to flood-affected areas in South Jeolla Province, Gwangju, Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, at a meeting chaired by Yun Ho-jung, the headquarters chief and minister of interior and safety.

The funds will go toward emergency repairs of damaged public infrastructure, including roads and rivers, and help stabilize conditions in affected areas. The government also decided to provide 40 million won in disaster relief program funds to support displaced residents and help them stabilize their daily lives.

At the meeting, officials discussed ongoing search-and-rescue operations, relief efforts for displaced residents, emergency repairs to damaged facilities, measures to prevent further damage, and safety checks on high-water rivers and landslide-prone areas.

Yun urged local governments to ensure that displaced residents staying in temporary shelters have adequate access to drinking water, daily necessities and hygiene supplies.

He also directed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy and other related ministries to work in close coordination and commit all available resources to swiftly restoring facilities critical to residents' daily lives, including traditional markets, schools, roads, rivers and power infrastructure.

"We will rally all of the government's capabilities through the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and do our utmost to manage the damage," Yun said. "We will support affected residents until they can return to their normal lives as soon as possible."


joze@heraldcorp.com