Heavy rains, flooding leave 24 dead in South Korea

At least 24 people have died and 10 more are missing after heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in South Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday, citing local disaster relief officials.

“According to rescue authorities, an initial count indicated 24 people have died due to heavy rain so far,” Yonhap reported, adding that another 10 people were missing, mostly buried by landslides or after falling into a flooded reservoir.

More than 6,400 residents in the central county of Goesan were ordered to evacuate early Saturday as the Goesan Dam began overflowing from the downpour and submerging low-lying villages nearby, the interior ministry said.

Two of the three people reported missing were swept away when a river overflowed in North Gyeongsang province, the ministry said.

All regular train service nationwide was suspended as of 2:00 pm (0500 GMT), although KTX bullet trains remained operational with potential schedule adjustments, according to the Korea Railroad Corporation.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo urged officials to respond to river overflows and landslides “preemptively”, and requested support for rescue operations from the defence ministry.