The Korea Herald

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Pohang parking lot tragedy: Mom survives, son dies

By Korea Herald

Published : Sept. 7, 2022 - 15:03

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The underground parking lot of an apartment building in the southeastern city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday. (Yonhap) The underground parking lot of an apartment building in the southeastern city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

One of the two survivors from a flooded underground parking lot in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, early Wednesday morning, was a woman in her 50s who lives at the apartment complex with her family.

She had not gone down to the parking lot alone in the middle of the stormy night. Her teenage son had tagged along with her.

After the mom’s rescue, the son was found dead as one of the seven bodies recovered from the flooded garage. As of Wednesday afternoon, the search and rescue operation was still underway.

The victims were all residents of the apartment complex who came to move their vehicles following an announcement from the apartment management office early Tuesday morning about possible flooding in the parking lot due to Typhoon Hinnanmor.

With a length of 150 meters, a width of 35 meters and a height of 3.5 meters, the underground garage is said to have 120 vehicles parked at that time.

According to local reports, the son accompanied his mother because he was worried about her going to the parking lot alone in the heavy rain.

The son’s mortuary was set up in Pohang Medical Center on Wednesday morning.

The mother was taken out on a stretcher by a rescue team at around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday after a nearly 12-hour struggle to keep herself from drowning.

From news reports