Latest news with #Gapyeong
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
At least 14 dead in ‘once-in-a-century' storms in South Korea
At least 14 people have died and 12 are missing after five days of torrential rain in South Korea in what the national weather agency described as a 'once-in-a-century' event. The country's southern regions have received up to 600-800 millimetres of rain since Wednesday, some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record. Torrential downpours hit Gapyeong, a resort town 70km east of Seoul on early Sunday, leaving at least two dead and four missing. One person was found dead after being swept away by the floods, and another was killed after their house collapsed because of the heavy rainfall. There are concerns that the death toll could continue to rise, with 12 people still missing according to the Ministry of the Interior and the Safety and National Fire Agency on Sunday. Over 2,000 public buildings have been damaged across the country, according to the ministry, with reports of damage to farmland and the death of livestock. Communication remains unstable in the areas hit by flooding, and many sites remain inaccessible, according to local reports. Footage shows heavy rainfall in the south of the country, with submerged vehicles, roads blocked by water, people wading through the streets and the extensive damage to farmland. In response to the floods, Lee Jae-myung, South Korea's president, ordered on Sunday for the areas that were hit the hardest by the extreme weather to be designated as special disaster zones, and the government has set up a multi-agency recovery effort. The majority of deaths have occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, with eight people killed and six others unaccounted for in the town following landslides, flash floods and the collapse of houses after experiencing almost 800 millimetres of rainfall since Wednesday. Earlier this week, three people were found dead in a flooded car, and a person was also killed after their car was buried by soil and concrete after an overpass collapsed in Osan, south of Seoul. Across the region, nearly 10,000 people have evacuated their homes since Wednesday, while more than 41,000 households have temporarily lost power, the BBC reports. South Korea also endured heavy rain and flooding in 2022, killing at least 11 people. The rain has mostly stopped in the worst-affected southern and central areas, with the rainfall moving north overnight and is expected to last until Monday in some areas, before a heatwave next week. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Death toll from South Korea rains rises to 16
Heavy rainfall for five consecutive days has left at least 16 people dead across South Korea and another 10 missing. Two people died and as many went missing in the resort town of Gapyeong on Sunday after a landslide engulfed houses and flooding swept away vehicles. The interior ministry said eight people were discovered dead and six were reported missing in the southern town of Sancheong on Saturday after heavy rainfall caused flash floods and landslides. The overall death toll stood at 16 as of 4pm local time on Sunday, The Korea Herald reported, citing fire authorities. Damaged vehicles are seen after heavy rainfall in Gapyeong, South Korea, on 20 July 2025 (AP) President Lee Jae Myung ordered the worst-hit areas, mostly in the south of the country, to be declared special disaster zones, which would entitle them to government support for damage recovery and relief. Interior minister Yoon Ho Jung asked local authorities to 'mobilise all available resources' to carry out 'swift emergency restoration work' after the government launched a multi-agency recovery effort. Mr Yoon announced that a prompt damage assessment would be launched to develop restoration plans for damaged facilities, including homes, commercial buildings and roads. 'The ministry and local governments need to ensure that the displaced residents staying in temporary shelters do not face any inconvenience by providing a sufficient amount of relief supplies and making their utmost effort in emergency restoration to help evacuees return to their normal lives as quickly as possible,' he said. Houses collapsed from a landslide are seen in Sancheong, South Korea, on 19 July 2025 (AP) Last week, three people were found dead in a submerged car and another person was killed when their car was buried by soil and concrete after a retaining wall of an overpass collapsed in Osan, just south of Seoul. The saturated soil had increased the risk of landslides even in areas receiving relatively modest rainfall. The downpours swept through South Chungcheong, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang regions this past week, with rainfall exceeding 500mm breaking daily rainfall records in July and forcing the evacuation of at least 3,840 people from their homes, the interior ministry said. The rain stopped in most of South Korea on Sunday and heavy rain alerts were subsequently lifted, the ministry added. This period of heavy rainfall was expected to be followed by a heat wave, the country's official weather forecaster said.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
18 dead after torrential rain leaves trail of devastation in S. Korea
Rain damage has affected 1,999 public structures and 2,238 private facilities across South Korea. (EPA Images pic) GAPYEONG : Severe wet weather in South Korea eased today following days of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides and left at least 18 people dead, the ministry of the interior and safety said. Nine people remained missing as of yesterday evening, the ministry said, with residents of the worst-hit areas in shock. At Gapyeong, some 62km northeast of the capital Seoul, some residents recalled narrow escapes from the floods after 173mm of rain deluged the area over just 17 hours yesterday. Gapyeong was among a number of places that saw a record amount of rain in a single day and broke the previous high for national daily precipitation of 156.3mm that was set on Sept 30, 1998. 'The ground just sank beneath me, and the water rose all the way up to my neck. Luckily, there was an iron pipe nearby. I held on to it with all my strength,' said Ahn Gyeong-bun, the owner of a restaurant that was almost completely destroyed. Two people died and four were missing after a landslide engulfed homes around Gapyeong and floods swept away vehicles as of yesterday, the ministry said. For those remaining like Ahn, an uncertain future awaits. 'I've run this restaurant for 10 years… What am I supposed to do now?' said Ahn, as she stood next to the badly damaged structure of her building perched next to a still swollen river. At times breaking down in tears, the 65-year-old said several of the restaurant's refrigerators were washed away by the flood. Across South Korea, rain damage had been reported to 1,999 public structures and 2,238 private facilities, including farms, the interior ministry said. While the rain has eased, the national weather agency has now issued a nationwide heatwave watch. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough response to the disaster, his office said. 'As local heavy rains have become commonplace, customised measures based on regional characteristics are urgently needed,' said Kang Yu-jung, the spokesman for Lee's office. 'If serious laxity or mistakes are found in civil servants' discipline, we will hold them accountable and thorough measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence.' Lee, who took office in June, has promised to make the country safer and to prevent any repeat of the disasters in recent years that have often been blamed on the inadequate response by authorities.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heavy rains in South Korea leave at least 17 dead and 11 others missing
Torrential rainfall that slammed South Korea for five days has left 17 people dead and 11 others missing, the government said on Sunday. One person was killed after their house collapsed during heavy rain and another person was found dead after being swept away by a swollen stream in Gapyeong, a town northeast of Seoul, according to the Interior and Safety Ministry. The ministry said 10 people were discovered dead and four others were reported missing in the southern town of Sancheong over the weekend after heavy downpours caused landslides, house collapses and flash floods there. A ministry report said that one person died in the southern city of Gwangju. It said that seven others remain missing in Gwangju, Gapyeong and elsewhere. Earlier last week, a person was also killed when their car was buried by soil and concrete after a retaining wall of an overpass collapsed in Osan, just south of Seoul, during heavy rain. Three others were found dead in a submerged car, a swollen stream and a flooded basement in southern South Chungcheong province. As of 4 pm local time on Sunday, about 2,730 people remain evacuated from their homes, the ministry report said. The rain has since stopped in most of South Korea, and heavy rain alerts have been lifted throughout the country. Since Wednesday, southern regions have received up to about 600-800 millimeters of rain, according to the ministry report. President Lee Jae Myung expressed deep sympathy to those who lost their loved ones and suffered financial damage. Lee said the government will push to designate areas hit hard it by the downpours as special disaster zones. The designation would provide them with greater financial and other recovery support from the government.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 as southern regions battered by record rain
At least 18 people have died and nine remain missing after days of torrential rain triggered flash floods and landslides across South Korea, displacing thousands and destroying homes and farmland. The downpours began last week and intensified over the weekend, with some areas seeing record-breaking hourly rainfall. More than 14,000 people have been evacuated, and damage has been reported in 15 cities and provinces, including extensive losses to homes, public infrastructure and livestock. The southern county of Sancheong was worst-hit, where 10 people were killed and four others remain missing, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Monday. Since Wednesday, southern regions have received 24-31 inches of rain, according to the ministry report. Further north in Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul, one man died after being swept away while camping near a stream. His wife and teenage son are still unaccounted for. Another resident died after a house collapsed, and a man in his 70s was buried in a landslide. Footage from affected regions shows villages buried in mud and floodwaters sweeping away vehicles. In Gwangju, residents are clearing debris as soldiers help with recovery efforts. The death toll has climbed steadily since Friday, when four people were confirmed dead and over a thousand were forced to evacuate. One victim, a man in his 50s in Seosan, South Chungcheong, called his wife moments before his car was swept away by rising waters. Houses collapsed from a landslide due to heavy rain are seen in Sancheong, South Korea (AP) Nearly 2,000 public infrastructure sites have been damaged, and more than 2,200 cases of damage to private homes have been reported, according to Yonhap. Power was temporarily lost for over 41,000 households, while thousands of farm animals have died. The rain has largely subsided in the worst-hit southern and central areas, but the downpours were still battering northern areas, including the capital Seoul on Sunday. President Lee Jae-myung has declared the worst-affected regions disaster zones, allowing emergency funding to be released. Around 2,500 military personnel have been deployed to assist with cleanup and repair. Interior minister Yun Ho-jung said local authorities had been instructed to mobilise 'all available resources' for the response. Meteorologists warned of a new threat as the Korean Meteorological Administration forecast an incoming heatwave, with temperatures expected to rise to 35C in parts of the country. Heat advisories have been issued for South Jeolla, Gangwon's east coast, and Jeju Island. South Korea has experienced worsening extremes in recent years. In 2022, at least 11 people were killed by floods in what was then the country's heaviest rainfall since records began. Scientific reports have shown the climate crisis is increasing the intensity and frequency of such events, overwhelming existing infrastructure and putting more lives at risk. In April, the country suffered through its deadliest and largest wildfires that were found to have been made worse due to increasing temperatures.
