logo
South Korea rains: week's death toll rises to 11 with more missing

South Korea rains: week's death toll rises to 11 with more missing

The Guardian5 days ago
At least one person was killed and five were missing in heavy downpours in South Korea, officials said, amid heavy rain, flooding and landslides, bringing the death toll to 11 from torrential rains that have lashed the country for a week.
Close to 170mm of rain hit Gapyeong county in Gyeonggi province, 70km east of Seoul, early on Sunday, said disaster authorities.
'We expect at least four missing now on top of one dead in Gapyeong,' an interior ministry official said.
The confirmed number of deaths from the five-day deluge stood at 11, according to official data. Scientists say climate change has made extreme weather events more frequent and intense around the world.
The downpour started on Wednesday, leaving eight people missing mostly in the southern and central parts of the country as of 6am on Sunday, according to official data and a government statement.
The heavy rain, which had earlier lashed the southern parts of South Korea, was affecting the northern parts of the country on Sunday morning, the government said.
A woman in her 70s was killed when her house collapsed in a landslide about 4.40am on Sunday in Gapyeong, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Most of the deaths have occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, which has had nearly 800mm of rain since Wednesday.
South Korea typically experiences monsoon rains in July and is usually well prepared. But this week its southern regions were hit by especially intense downpours, with some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record, official weather data showed.
In 2022, South Korea endured record-breaking rains and flooding that killed at least 11 people.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Italy is hit with landslides as flash floods destroy bridge, wash away cars and trigger evacuation after ferocious summer storm
Italy is hit with landslides as flash floods destroy bridge, wash away cars and trigger evacuation after ferocious summer storm

Daily Mail​

time13 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Italy is hit with landslides as flash floods destroy bridge, wash away cars and trigger evacuation after ferocious summer storm

Italy has been inundated by landslides caused by flashfloods that have destroyed bridges, washed away cars and triggered an evacuation. Following powerful summer thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday, the picturesque Passiria Valley in northern Italy was flooded after over 100mm of rain fell in just a few hours. Video footage taken of the floods in the region showed muddied water raging across the land. Roads were submerged in water and mud, trapping cars that tried to ford the flow of rain. One set of photos showed what appeared to be a building site of new homes in the valley having many of their structural materials rushed away by the flash floods. The ground upon which a six-storey building, half-built and still exposed to the elements, was soaked through with water. Rusted metal parts were seen on its roof. Though the damage in the area was extensive, no one was injured or killed by the extreme weather. The regional government said the largest landslide happened in 'an industrial area, where several warehouses, machinery, and work tools were buried, and clearing work is proceeding at full speed.' One set of photos showed what appeared to be a building site of new homes in the valley having many of their structural materials rushed away by the flash floods. One road, shut down due to the weather, remains closed until further notice while a one-way system for cars across the valley has been in place since 5am. Local firefighters deployed ten vehicles, including five bucket excavators and three wheel loaders, to remove six to seven meters of material and clear the blocked passageway so the water could flow in a controlled manner. As Italy is deluged by flashfloods, shocking footage shows the aftermath of deadly wildfires in Cyprus with rows of luxury villas reduced to ashes. Terrified residents were forced to flee in the night as raging flames - fanned by powerful winds and a 40C heatwave - engulfed entire streets to the north of Limassol, a coastal city loved by Brits. One elderly couple were tragically burnt alive as they attempted to flee in their car while rescue teams are frantically searching for missing people and carrying out mass evacuations. The blaze, which hasn't stopped burning since it broke out at midday on Wednesday, has devastated swathes of agricultural and habitable land across the wine–producing region north of the city of Limassol, which sits near popular holiday hotspots. Rows of luxury homes in the Souni region of the island were seen burnt to a crisp. Several trees on the front of properties were seen charred and mangled by the flames. Telegraph poles could be seen askew in the ground, warped by the fires. The inferno is believed to have begun from two points around 300ft apart in an area underneath a bridge where there is a rubbish dump. Local cops are reportedly investigating the cause of the blaze as arson. It has since emerged that two people have died after they were burned alive in their car. Local media has reported that the pair were an elderly couple who were trying to flee the fires, though they have not been formally identified yet.

Danish police evacuate music festival amid heavy rain
Danish police evacuate music festival amid heavy rain

Reuters

time14 hours ago

  • Reuters

Danish police evacuate music festival amid heavy rain

COPENHAGEN, July 24 (Reuters) - Danish police evacuated a music festival on Thursday and warned people in the west coast city of Esbjerg to stay indoors amid flooding caused by a cloudburst. "Heavy rain came and we assessed that it was necessary to shut down the concert," a police spokesperson said. Police had initiated the evacuation of some 20,000 people, he said, adding there were no reports of injuries. Festival organisers said on Facebook that the rest of Thursday's programme would be cancelled due to safety concerns. Broadcasters DR and TV showed images of cars in Esbjerg that were partly submerged, and people wading through water in the city of around 71,500 inhabitants. "It is advised against going outside. Unnecessary driving is discouraged," the police said in a post on social media X. Several parts of the Scandinavian region are currently subject to flood warnings.

Severe floods triggered by storm Wipha kill at least three in Vietnam's Nghe An
Severe floods triggered by storm Wipha kill at least three in Vietnam's Nghe An

Reuters

time17 hours ago

  • Reuters

Severe floods triggered by storm Wipha kill at least three in Vietnam's Nghe An

HANOI, July 24 (Reuters) - Heavy rains triggered by tropical storm Wipha have caused severe flooding in the central Vietnamese province of Nghe An, killing at least three people and leaving one more missing. With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that often cause deadly floods and mudslides. Wipha is the first major storm to hit the country this year. Wipha made landfall in Vietnam on Tuesday, after battering Hong Kong and China and worsening monsoon rains and flooding in the Philippines. One of the victims was buried by a landslide while another was washed away by a strong current, reported the Kinh Te Moi Truong newspaper, citing information from the People's Committee of Nghe An. More than 3,700 houses in the province have been inundated by flood waters, and another 459 were damaged by strong winds, according to the report. Photos on state media show homes in villages in the province submerged to the roofs. "Our rice, our clothing and our money are all gone," Dang Thi Ngoc, a local flood victim, told state broadcaster VTV. "We have nothing left except for our bare hands." Flood waters have also damaged 1,600 hectares of rice plantations and 1,290 hectares of cash crops in the province, the report said. The government's weather forecast agency said heavy rains reaching up to 250 millimetres are expected on Thursday and Friday and could last until Saturday in several parts of northern Vietnam, potentially causing more flooding.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store