A couple weeks ago we had some major tropical storms. This can be especially bad for urban renewal areas where the rain can wash away exposed soil. And since urban renewal is often done downhill of inhabited areas, a disaster was inevitable.
I woke up last Friday to news my longstanding prediction had come true. Overnight, a kindergarten building on top of a hill had collapsed. Fortunately it was overnight and nobody was inside.
1. I asked around for the school's location and went to visit a couple hours later. This is taken over the head of a cop who wouldn't let me get closer.
2. I'd been here a couple years ago when there was a more significant abandoned refugee village nearby. At the time, this one was inhabited. Since then a number of houses had been cleared away, leading to the collapse. Anyway, despite all the police and media around, nobody cared if anyone entered the abandoned moon village.
3. It had received the same treatment a lot of these places get, adding murals to increase their value. Never works.
4. I got right up next to the school, separated only by some heavy vegetation and a fence. That's as close as I feel like getting.
5. Looking back at the remainder of the old neighbourhood. Areas like this were resettled by refugees coming from the North after the Korean War. Most are gone now, but a few are still left. They were called moon villages because their elevation had them slightly closer to the moon.
6. Here's the front entrance to the kindergarten. That cop wasn't letting anyone in.
7. Abandoned house.
8. Two collapses.
9. Wall squid.
10. I didn't bother trying to get closer to any of the houses. Maybe in the winter.
11.
12.
13. Time to head out.
14. Here's another similar moon village, now all cleared out. That one is in the LDB.