Torrential rains leave at least 32 dead, more than 10 missing

▲ A rescue operation is under way in the county of Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on July 15, 2023, after a landslide buried five houses.

▲ Evacuees take shelter at a university in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, on July 15, 2023. (Yonhap)

▲ Officials inspect the site of a collapsed embankment near a stream in the aftermath of heavy rains in the central county of Cheongyang on July 15, 2023. (Yonhap)

heavy rain-damage

Torrential rains leave at least 32 dead, more than 10 missing

SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- Flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains have killed at least 32 people nationwide and left more than 10 people missing while thousands evacuated their homes due to rain damage, authorities said Sunday.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said 26 people have been reported killed in the aftermath of the heavy rains that have pounded the country since last week, while 10 others remained missing as of 6 a.m.

Rescuers have additionally recovered six bodies from a bus trapped in a flooded underground tunnel in the central town of Osong.

The 685-meter-long underground roadway was flooded in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, the previous day when a nearby river overflowed after an embankment was brought down by rising water levels due to heavy rain.

As of Sunday morning, the death toll from the underpass flooding stood at seven and is expected to rise further as a rescue operation continues for 15 vehicles and several people believed to be trapped inside the tunnel.

Most fatalities were reported in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, where 17 people died largely due to landslides and housing collapses, and nine others remained missing.

One more person remained missing in Busan, the office said. Thirteen people have also been injured nationwide as a result of the recent downpours.

As of 6 a.m., 7,540 people from 13 cities and provinces had evacuated their homes, including 2,301 in North Chungcheong Province, and of them, 5,933 have not returned home yet due to safety concerns, authorities also said.

A total of 226 public and private property damage cases have been reported, including 25 cases of destroyed or swept-away public roads, 25 cases of collapsed river embankments and 33 flooded homes.

Heavy rains have also left 211 roads closed, and of them, 10 public ones remained out of service as of 6 a.m.

All train operations have been suspended, although KTX bullet trains on some sections resumed operations.

Downpours have also left 20 national parks across the country closed. A total of 12 flights also were canceled Sunday.

As of 5 a.m., heavy rain warnings were in place in southern inland areas of Gangwon Province, the Chungcheong provinces, southern regions and Jeju Island. Coastal regions of South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces have been forecast to experience heavy rains of up to 30 millimeters per hour.

Over the next two days, the country's southern regions, the central Chungcheong provinces and Jeju Island are predicted to see accumulated precipitation between 50 mm and 200 mm, while the broader Seoul area is expected to experience rain between 5 mm and 60 mm, the weather agency said.

Landslide warnings across the nation, except on Jeju Island, have also been escalated to the highest level of "grave."

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