Southwestern South Korea Faces Extensive Damage From Heavy Rainfall
Heavy rainfall causes widespread damage across southwestern South Korea.
More than 800 mm of rain has battered South Gyeongsang Province in southwestern South Korea, triggering flooding and landslides and leaving at least one person dead, authorities said on Monday. Geoje, located more than 300 km southeast of Seoul, recorded 805.7 mm of rainfall from Saturday through 8 am Monday. Nearby Tongyeong received 671.9 mm during the same period, while several other areas recorded between 240 mm and 340 mm.
The intense rainfall triggered a landslide in a Geoje neighbourhood at around 4:42 am on Monday, damaging an apartment building. Police and firefighters rescued three residents from the affected building, but one person was found in cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Emergency crews continued responding to reports of rain-related incidents as authorities assessed the extent of the damage.
Flooding also affected educational institutions across the region. Twelve schools and kindergartens in Geoje and Tongyeong had been flooded by Monday morning, according to authorities. Firefighters received more than 20 calls overnight from residents in Geoje seeking assistance with various accidents and damage caused by the heavy rainfall.
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Several streams in Geoje overflowed, flooding roads and disrupting movement in affected areas. Another landslide struck a house in a neighbourhood, although no casualties were reported in that incident. The intensity of the rainfall remained high on Monday, with Geoje and Tongyeong recording rainfall of up to 100 mm per hour as emergency teams continued rescue and response operations.
Heavy rain warnings remained in force in five areas of South Gyeongsang Province, including Geoje and Tongyeong, while lower-level advisories covered several other parts of the region. The weather agency forecast up to another 150 mm of rain in some parts of the province during Monday, raising concerns about further flooding, landslides and damage in already affected areas.
The Interior Ministry activated a Level 1 emergency response at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and urged authorities to prioritise the protection of residents. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung directed officials to make all-out efforts to respond to the situation, while Prime Minister Han Seong-sook instructed police, firefighters and other agencies to rescue stranded residents and assist people facing risks from the continuing rainfall.
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