Romualdez condoles with South Koreans after massive flooding kills over 30
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has offered his condolences to the people of South Korea after massive floods caused by torrential rains killed at least 39 in the said country’s central and southern regions.
Romualdez, in a statement on Wednesday, said he conveyed this message personally to Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa after the envoy paid a courtesy call on Romualdez in Makati City.
According to the Speaker, South Korea was among the first countries to respond when his home province of Leyte and other nearby areas were hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
“I know that recently there was a flash flood in South Korea, and I know there are a number of casualties. So, we’d like to condole with the people of South Korea who suffered these losses, these casualties,” Romualdez told Lee.
“I know now that in the Central City of Cheongju in South Korea that there have been torrential rains and flash floods. So again, we condole with the Korean people for the loss of lives, for the injuries, and of course to the evacuees,” he added.
Romualdez said this only shows that while South Korea and the Philippines are different in terms of geographical location, both can be vulnerable to the threats of climate change.
“We go through these all the time,” Romualdez said.
Lee meanwhile thanked Romualdez, saying that this message means a lot to the people of South Korea.
“I highly appreciate your words of condolences and sympathy and solidarity,” Lee replied.
Latest reports as of Monday showed that 39 people have died due to the floods, including a dozen people found dead in a submerged underpass in Cheongju.
Reports from South Korea showed that 16 vehicles, including a bus, were swamped by a flash flood on Saturday while inside the tunnel, due to a levee of a nearby river that collapsed.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered an all-out effort to handle the devastation, convening an intra-agency meeting on disaster response while calling on authorities to make the utmost effort to rescue victims.
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