Torrential rains in South Korea leave seven dead, three missing, thousands evacuated

SEOUL, South Korea - Heavy rains have killed at least seven people and caused thousands to evacuate their homes across the country, Yonhap news agency quoted the authorities Saturday.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said three people remained missing and seven others were injured.

Two people died in a building collapse triggered by a landslide in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, on Friday.

One person was killed in a mudslide in the central city of Sejong and housing collapses killed three people in the southeastern county of Yeongju and the central county of Cheongyang.

In the central city of Cheongju, a car was struck by a landslide, killing one person.

The casualties are feared to rise as government agencies assess damage reported across the nation.

Two people, including a woman in her 60s, are feared to have been killed when a landslide destroyed a home in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, at around 9am.

Some 6,400 residents in the central county of Goesan were evacuated, as the Goesan Dam began to overflow at around 6:30am. Many low-lying villages near the dam were submerged, and roads and bridges connecting the villages were cut off, trapping some residents in their homes.

A total of 1,567 people from 1,002 households in 13 cities and counties had sought temporary shelters as of Saturday morning, as heavy downpours continued to fall across the country. Among them, 1,114 people could not return home due to safety concerns.

The Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) suspended all regular trains and some KTX bullet trains that run through the country's central inland region due to heavy rains. KORAIL also warned of slower service in routes connecting Seoul to the country's southern parts, including Busan and Jeolla Province.

On Thursday, the Public Administration and Security Ministry raised the natural disaster level posed by torrential rains to the highest in the three-tier system.

Prime Minister Han Duck Soo on Saturday ordered officials to swiftly evacuate people in landslide-prone regions to minimise casualties, and do their utmost to rescue people in affected areas. - BERNAMA-YONHAP