South Korea: Death toll rises sharply as heavy rains trigger deadly landslides in Sancheong

Seoul, July 20 (IANS) Torrential rains that slammed South Korea for four days have left at least nine people dead and several others missing, after a downpour triggered deadly landslides in the southern Sancheong County, officials said.

A 60-something person was found in cardiac arrest after a landslide triggered by heavy rain engulfed homes in a village in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, on Saturday morning.

In a separate incident, a landslide in another village in Sancheong subsequently killed two others at home, while a deadly mudslide swept through homes in a different village in the county shortly after noon, leaving two people dead and one missing, according to fire authorities.

Also in Sancheong, a person was found in cardiac arrest around noon after his home was inundated by heavy rain. Sancheong County issued an alert urging all residents to evacuate to safety, Yonhap news agency reported.

In the nearby city of Miryang, also in South Gyeongsang Province, a driver in his 60s was killed after floodwaters swept away his car.

Authorities said five people had been confirmed dead, two were missing and two others were found in cardiac arrest in the province on Saturday alone, as record rainfall pounded the region. Firefighters continued rescue operations to locate those still missing.

South Gyeongsang is one of the regions hardest hit by the recent downpours, with some regions in the province receiving more than 700 millimetres of rain from Wednesday through Saturday.

The National Fire Agency issued a nationwide firefighting mobilisation order in response to the landslide.

So far, central and local government authorities have reported five deaths and four missing since the onset of rain that has battered the nation since Wednesday.

Four of the five people killed in South Gyeongsang on Saturday had not been included in this death toll.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is expected to announce officially updated information on casualties and damage assessment later in the day.

Weather authorities have warned that up to 250 mm of additional rainfall could fall within the day, raising concerns of further damage and casualties.

Evacuation orders were issued for 7,029 residents from 4,995 households, with more than 2,800 people still unable to return home.

The torrential downpours have inundated roads, triggered landslides and flooded homes across the country.

Overnight rainfall remained extreme in many regions.

Incheon's Yeongheung Island saw 98.5 mm of rain fall in just one hour, from 12:50 a.m.-1:50 a.m., while Boseong in South Jeolla Province saw 88 mm.

Some areas have already taken more than 40 per cent of their annual average rainfall over the past four days. Seosan recorded 558.6 mm of rain from Wednesday to Friday morning, which equates to 45 per cent of its annual average.

A total of 729 cases of public infrastructure damage have been reported, including 388 flooded roads, 133 landslides and 57 river facility collapses. Private property damage reached 1,014 cases, including 64 flooded buildings and 59 cases of submerged farmland.

--IANS

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