South Korea has faced record bad weather since Monday, the worst in 80 years, according to the Yonhap news agency.
On Tuesday, authorities warned of more rain as rescuers tried to remove bodies from flooded cars from the streets of Seoul, as floodwaters killed at least seven people.
Dramatic images shared Monday night on social media or by Korean media showed people wading through waist-deep water, overflowing subway stations and half-submerged cars in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district.
At least seven dead and seven missing
“At least seven people have died in the greater Seoul area…another seven are missing due to heavy rain as of 7:30 am this morning,” a Seoul Interior Ministry official said. According to local media such as the Korean Herald, three people who lived in a “banjiha” (cramped basement apartments), including a teenager, drowned in their apartment.
President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered government officials to evacuate residents from risk areas and encouraged businesses to allow their employees to work flexible hours on Tuesday morning.
Up to 300mm more expected on Thursday
These rains also caused a lot of material damage. Many stores have been forced to close and are already suffering from water damage. A total of 4,791 flooded car claims have been registered with 12 insurance companies, Yonhap said.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has urged South Koreans to “beware of heavy rain, gusts, as well as thunder and lightning in the central region” in the coming days. Up to 300 millimeters of additional rain was forecast for the central region, including Seoul, through Thursday, the same source detailed.
Daily life in South Korea was still severely disrupted on Tuesday, with many roads and tunnels closed for security reasons, Yonhap reported. North Korea has also issued an alert for heavy rains in its border regions with the South.
Source: BFM TV
