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| Scouts from Denmark and Norway visiting Korea for the 25th World Scout Jamboree tour the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
Bus carrying Swiss Scouts collides with local bus, injuring 9
By Jun Ji-hye
The government has enhanced safety management measures to protect tens of thousands of participants of the 25th World Scout Jamboree from the rapidly approaching Typhoon Khanun.
Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min said Wednesday that the government, in cooperation with local governments, police and fire authorities, has strengthened patrols in areas near accommodation where the participants are currently staying, in preparation for possible floods and mudslides there.
About 37,000 Scouts and adult volunteers participating in the international youth camp left the campsite on reclaimed tidal flats in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, Tuesday, four days ahead of schedule due to the powerful typhoon set to arrive on Thursday morning.
They are now scattered throughout 128 accommodation facilities in Seoul and seven other regions across the country and will stay there until they depart for their home countries this weekend.
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| Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min speaks during a media briefing at the Jamboree press center in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap |
"The government shares typhoon-related information with the World Organization of the Scout Movement in real time in preparation for the possibility that any accommodations could be directly affected by the typhoon," Minister Lee said during a media briefing.
"The government will also distribute relevant information and on-site action manuals to the participants."
He noted that the ministry is operating an emergency support team, headed by the vice minister, in a bid to complete the event without additional issues. The event has already been widely criticized for lack of preparation in many aspects, including shortages of toilets, showers and cooling facilities amid the scorching heat wave gripping the country.
The organizing committee reported more than 400 patients were confirmed to have heat-related illness on the first day of the event on Aug. 1, and an additional 108 patients during the opening ceremony on the second day.
The minister said the team is keenly cooperating with eight cities and provinces accommodating the Jamboree participants and will check the safety and hygiene of accommodations as well as medical services in each region.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also vowed to provide "impeccable" support for the Jamboree participants until the departure of all Scouts from the country.
"Local governments should respond immediately to any demands and complaints of the Scouts and take preemptive steps to cope with any risk factors," Han said during a government emergency response meeting on the Jamboree. "The participants' safety and health should always be the top priority."
But the bad news has continued. A bus carrying Jamboree participants from Switzerland collided with a local bus in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, at about 12:46 p.m. on Wednesday.
Nine suffered slight injuries, according to the organizing committee.
The injured include three Swiss nationals and one Korean driver in addition to five other Korean nationals aboard the local bus. They were sent to nearby hospitals for treatment.
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| People gather at the scene of a traffic accident involving a bus carrying Swiss Scouts participating in the 2023 World Scout Jamboree, in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. Yonhap |
