Footage from the resort town of Gapyeong showed people wading through thick mud on Sunday, crossing a damaged bridge on their way to evacuation shelters. At least 17 people have died in floods and landslides after days of torrential rain across South Korea, the country’s disaster management office said. Eleven are missing, and officials fear the toll will rise as rescue work continues.
Much of the worst damage hit the south. In Sancheong, six people were killed and seven are missing. In the central Chungcheong region, video from Saturday showed an entire village buried under earth and debris after a landslide. Another slide in Gapyeong County, in the north, engulfed several properties in mud and killed two people, AFP reported, citing government officials.
Floodwaters damaged and submerged thousands of roads and buildings. Farmland was damaged, and reports spoke of widespread livestock deaths. Local media said nearly 10,000 people left their homes after the downpour began on Wednesday, and more than 41,000 households lost power for a time.
Government response
President Lee Jae-myung ordered the hardest-hit areas declared special disaster zones on Sunday, and the government launched a multi-agency recovery effort. Interior minister Yun Ho-jung asked local authorities to mobilise “all available resources” quickly.
The rain has mostly eased in the southern and central areas, but overnight the downpours moved north. More heavy rain was expected in Seoul and the northern regions on Sunday. Forecasters expect it to end late that day, to be followed by an intense heatwave.
