logo
Landslides and Floods Kill 18 in South Korea

Landslides and Floods Kill 18 in South Korea

New York Times3 days ago
At least 18 people have died in South Korea as landslides and floods triggered by torrential rains buried homes and swept away people, cars and livestock, the government said on Monday.
The death toll was expected to rise as rescuers removed debris and searched rain-swollen streams for nine people who were still missing, according to the country's disaster management office.
Up to 31 inches of torrential rain have poured onto South Korea's southern and western provinces since last Wednesday.
The hardest hit was Sancheong, a county near the central south coast, where 10 people were reported dead and four others were missing. Nearly 12 inches of rain fell there on Saturday alone, forcing the authorities to advise all 33,000 residents to look out for floods and landslides.
Photos and video footage from the region showed large stretches of strawberry greenhouses destroyed by floods, with cars tossed upside down among the debris. Aging villagers sat dejectedly, gazing at boulders that had been swept in by the rain and were now occupying their front yards. Residents complained of power and water shortages, according to officials and local media.
In Gapyeong County, northeast of Seoul, a family of four was camping near a stream when a landslide and flood hit their tent early Sunday. The son was rescued, but the father was found dead four miles downstream. Rescuers were still searching for the mother and an 11-year-old daughter, while using ropes and rappelling gear to move other stranded campers across streams roaring with dark-brown floodwater.
The home ministry said 14,000 people had been evacuated, with their homes and farms lost or damaged. Fields growing rice, watermelon and other produce, equivalent to 40,000 soccer fields, had been damaged, the ministry of agriculture said. Nearly 1.5 million heads of livestock, including 1.4 million chickens, died, it said.
President Lee Jae Myung promised to grant special disaster zone status to the worst-hit villages, which would allow the government to provide tax exemptions and other relief measures.
By Monday, most of the evacuated villagers had returned to their homes, as the rain eased off and the sun came out. They faced the daunting task of rebuilding their houses. Soldiers were mobilized to help them haul rain-ravaged furniture. Workers used heavy equipment to clear roads and remove debris from under bridges.
By Sunday afternoon, weather officials had downgraded their heavy rain alert. However, their forecasts indicated more rain for central and northern areas of the country on Monday. They also warned of a heat wave in the south, where officials sent vehicles weaving through villages, spraying chemicals to prevent outbreaks of disease in the aftermath of the floods.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Philippines shuts schools, scraps flights as Typhoon Co-May nears
Philippines shuts schools, scraps flights as Typhoon Co-May nears

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Philippines shuts schools, scraps flights as Typhoon Co-May nears

The Philippines shut down schools and cancelled flights Thursday as torrential rains driven by a typhoon and a separate tropical storm pounded the country's northern island of Luzon. Typhoon Co-May, upgraded from a tropical storm overnight, follows days of monsoon rains that have killed at least 12 people and left another eight missing across the archipelago since July 18, according to the national disaster agency. With maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour, the typhoon was expected to make landfall on the west coast in either La Union or Ilocos Sur province by Friday morning, the country's weather service said. Around 70 domestic and international flights have been cancelled due to the storms, the civil aviation authority said. The government has announced the suspension of classes across Luzon for Thursday. Tens of thousands were evacuated across Manila earlier this week by floodwaters that swamped some neighbourhoods in waist-deep water and left residents of nearby provinces stranded and in need of rescue by boat. As of Thursday, at least several thousand people in Manila remained unable to return to their homes. "We cannot send them home yet because it is still raining and some typhoons are still expected to affect the country," Ria Mei Pangilinan, a rescue coordinator in the capital, told AFP. "There might be more (evacuees) if the rain does not stop." Typhoon Co-May was about 210 kilometres off the country's west coast as of 11 am (0300 GMT). Tropical Storm Francisco, meanwhile, was situated about 735 kilometres from the country's east coast and on a trajectory towards northern Taiwan. The two storms are not believed to be on a collision path. pam-cwl/rsc

Texas Official Blames Forecasts for Delayed Floods Response
Texas Official Blames Forecasts for Delayed Floods Response

Wall Street Journal

time10 hours ago

  • Wall Street Journal

Texas Official Blames Forecasts for Delayed Floods Response

A Texas emergency management official said forecasts didn't reveal the magnitude of the coming floods that killed more 130 people and devastated a girls camp in the central part of the state earlier this month. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said at a state legislative hearing Wednesday that forecast models predicted just a few inches of rain over the Fourth of July weekend. Instead, as much as 18 inches of rain unleashed devastating floods.

Iran's public sector shuts down in 8 provinces due to heat wave
Iran's public sector shuts down in 8 provinces due to heat wave

Associated Press

time12 hours ago

  • Associated Press

Iran's public sector shuts down in 8 provinces due to heat wave

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A government-ordered public shutdown in some areas of Iran took place on Wednesday due to a scorching heatwave that has seen temperatures soar past 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), straining the power grid Tehran's public offices and banks closed, but for many private shopkeepers it was another day of work despite the punishing temperatures. The official holiday for public sector employees in eight of Iran's 31 provinces, including the capital, Tehran, was declared to save electricity. The move, however, split the city into two realities — one of silent, shuttered government buildings, and another where the hum of air conditioners in private shops and shopping centers signaled business as usual. For many other residents, the unexpected holiday provided a welcome escape. With Thursday already part of the traditional weekend in Iran, the closure prompted an exodus from the capital. Iranian media reported that roads leading north to the Caspian Sea coast were choked with traffic as people fled for the milder climates of Mazandaran and Gilan provinces. Dealing with extreme summer heat through government shutdowns is becoming a familiar strategy for Iran, which implemented a two-day closure in 2023 and a similar one-day holiday in July 2024 to cope with the impact of heat on its infrastructure. Even as authorities advised people to remain indoors, the heat has been more gruelling in other regions. The southern city of Borazjan recorded a staggering 50 C (122 F) last Sunday.

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