Heat wave knocks out power on South Korea's Baengnyeong Island after generators overheat

A recent heat wave affecting South Korea's Baengnyeong Island caused more than miserable conditions for residents. The extreme temperatures also seem to have caused a power outage that left a hospital without its main electricity for more than two hours.

What happened?

The island came under a heat wave advisory on the morning of July 28. Baengnyeong Hospital, part of the Incheon Medical Center, lost power in the afternoon of July 31, CHOSUNBIZ reported, citing Yonhap News.

Yonhap noted the outage was believed to have extended beyond the hospital, with power cuts in parts of Baengnyeong-myeon, including Jinchon-ri around the hospital and nearby Namchon-ri.

The Baengnyeong-myeon office reportedly notified residents that generators had overheated amid the extreme heat, causing the outage. In a text message, the office also alerted residents when restoration work had begun at the area power plant.

According to Yonhap News, electricity was restored at Baengnyeong Hospital a little over 2 hours after the power had gone out.

The outage is not believed to have seriously disrupted patient care, but affected residents were unable to use air conditioners and electric fans during the blackout.

Why does it matter?

A power outage during a heat wave can disrupt cooling, refrigeration, medical care, and communications. For patients relying on certain equipment or medications that must be kept cool, these blackouts may have dire consequences. 

Research shows that when an outage lasts at least 8 hours, it can increase the risk of emergency hospitalizations related to heart and lung conditions among older adults.

On an island that relies on generators, power restoration can also be more complicated than in a mainland urban area.

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