"저걸 왜 못 나와?" "제가 오만했습니다"..'수심 50㎝' 직접 갇혀보니 / SBS / AFTER 8 SPECIAL / 동은영 사회부 기자

1. Where is the most dangerous place when it rains? The rainy season has officially begun. When it rains heavily like it has these days, the most dangerous place is underground spaces. Underground spaces refer to what we commonly know as semi-basements, underground parking lots, and underground roadways. You must be especially careful in these areas because water can rise rapidly and flood them when it rains heavily. In fact, you may recall that four years ago—in 2022, when Typhoon Hinnamno struck the Korean Peninsula—a river overflowed and flooded an underground parking lot of an apartment complex in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. At that time, seven residents lost their lives unable to escape the parking lot; these were people who had gone to move their cars after hearing an announcement that the parking lot was flooding. Also, in the summer of the same year, two sisters in their 40s and their teenage daughter died in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, unable to escape a flooded semi-basement. According to the government, when analyzing the number of people who died or went missing due to floods and storms over the past decade, 37 out of 199—approximately 20 percent—were caused by flooding in underground spaces. The reason underground spaces are so deadly during heavy rain is that the point where water enters and the place where people evacuate are the same; it is said that it is not easy to break through the currents to evacuate. [Gong Ha-seong / Professor, Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Woosuk University: You have to evacuate to the point where the water enters, but the water rushes in there with a very rapid current.] 2. '50cm Depth', Experiencing It Firsthand Was 'Fear' So, I decided to experience firsthand just how dangerous it is when an underground space is flooded and how difficult it is to escape. The place I visited was the Boramae Safety Experience Center, operated by the Seoul Fire and Disaster Safety Headquarters. Here, visitors can experience various dangerous situations that can occur due to floods and storms. Among them, the experience I undertook was learning how to evacuate in a flooded underground space. We are experiencing the conditions when the water rises to 30cm, 50cm, and 70cm. When this report aired on the 8 o'clock news, I saw some comments suggesting that one could escape from that height, or questioning if the reporter wasn't working hard enough. Before actually going to experience it, I also thought, "Since I am strong, maybe I can escape." However, after the experience, I realized just how arrogant I had been. [The water is about 50cm high, reaching up to my knees. No matter how much force I apply, the door won't open.] I also watched other citizens try it out. An adult woman couldn't open the door, and even when a sturdy adult male tried to open it, it only twitched but wouldn't budge. Although it wasn't shown on the news, I also tried the scenario where the water rose to about 70 centimeters—that is, up to my thighs. At that point, no matter how much force I applied, the door wouldn't budge at all, as if someone were pushing it from the front. In fact, there is an experiment conducted by the National Institute of Disaster Safety. When the water level rose to about 30 centimeters, both men and women were able to escape. However, when the water rose to about 40 centimeters—reaching the calf level—men could escape, but women could not. Furthermore, when the water rose to about 50 centimeters, reaching the knees, it was impossible for both men and women to escape. [Kim Hak-su / Team Leader, Urban Flood Experiment Team, National Institute of Disaster Safety: Even if the water level rises by just 50 centimeters, it creates an effect similar to having a boulder weighing about 110 kg outside the door. That means the door becomes so heavy that it won't open. In terms of water pressure, 40 centimeters is equivalent to nearly 70 kg for a standard fire door.] The best course of action is to evacuate immediately if you see even the slightest sign of rising water or if water backflows from the drain. Some of you may be wondering what posture to assume when opening a door. It is said that if you need to open a door by pushing, you should lower your body, press your shoulders against the door, and apply maximum force. If you need to open a door by pulling, you should grasp the doorknob with both hands, assume a common squat position, and pull the door with all your might. [Choi Yeon-woo / Operations Team Manager, Boramae Safety Experience Center: You should step one foot away from the handle and press your shoulders against the center. In that position, stand slightly at an angle and apply force here.] 3. Hold the handrail to one side when climbing stairs Escaping through a door is not the end of the story. In underground spaces, you often need to climb stairs after escaping. When climbing stairs where muddy water is pouring in, you must hold the handrail tightl...