- Images Source : Google Images
At least eight people were killed after some of the heaviest rain and flooded in South Korea's capital region. Seoul's streets were converted into car-clogged rivers as floodwaters cascaded into underground metro stations. From Monday to Tuesday, more than 43 centimetres of rain fell in Seoul's hardest-hit Dongjak district.
The per-hour precipitation in that area exceeded 14 centimetres, the highest hourly deluge recorded in Seoul since 1942. Some of the victims were discovered drowned in their homes, while at least seven others are still missing. Excavators are being used to clean uprooted trees, mud, and debris from highways, however more rain is expected on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, about 800 structures in Seoul and surrounding areas were damaged, and at least 790 individuals were lose their homes. Nearly 50 cities and municipalities have issued landslide warnings, and 160 hiking trails in Seoul and the hilly Gangwon province have been closed.
Rescuers said they were unable to reach three people -- two sisters in their 40s and a 13-year-old girl -- who shouted for help before drowning in a basement residence in southern Seoul's Gwanak district on Monday night.
Another woman died at her home in the adjoining Dongjak neighborhood, while a public worker died from electrocution while clearing away fallen trees. In the nearby cities of Gwangju and Hwaseong, three more persons were discovered dead in the debris of landslides and a collapsed bus station. Four persons are still missing in the Seocho neighborhood of southern Seoul.
On Tuesday, the country's weather service issued a heavy rain warning for the Seoul metropolitan area and surrounding areas. The South Korean military was ready to deploy troops to assist with recovery work if cities or regional governments requested it, according to Defense Ministry spokesperson Moon Hong-Sik.
Rainstorms also hammered North Korea, with authorities issuing heavy rain warnings for the country's southern and western regions.