South Korea: 10 Killed, Nine missing In Heavy Rains, Landslides

SEOUL, July 20 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- Ten people have been killed and nine have gone missing in the heavy rains and landslides that began across South Korea four days ago, the government said Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the data from the interior ministry and the National Fire Agency, as of 5 am Sunday, also showed that a large portion of the toll -- six dead and seven missing -- occurred in the southern county of Sancheong.

The other deaths occurred in Osan, Gyeonggi Province; Seosan, South Chungcheong Province; and Dangjin, South Chungcheong. Two of the nine unaccounted for were reported missing in the southwestern city of Gwangju.

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Firefighting officials said rescue work was still underway in Sancheong, which could lead to a change in the toll. A total of 58 people have been rescued from the county alone.

Torrential rains have slammed the nation since Wednesday, with Sancheong receiving an accumulated 793.5 millimetres of rain. The adjacent county of Hapcheon has received 699 mm, while the nearby county of Hadong has received 621.5 mm.

Authorities have registered 1,920 cases of flooded roads, soil loss, and destroyed public facilities, as well as 2,234 other cases of damage to private property, including buildings and farmland.

A total of 12,921 people have taken shelter across 14 major cities and provinces.

More heavy rainfall is forecast in the capital area and Gangwon Province through Sunday morning.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP