Latest news with #Sancheong
Free Malaysia Today
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
South Korea's Lee orders all-out effort to find missing after floods
Houses collapsed from a landslide due to heavy rain in Sancheong, South Korea. (Yonhap/AP pic) SEOUL : South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung told public officials on Tuesday to 'spare no effort' in the search for missing people and on damage recovery after days of torrential rains left a trail of destruction in various parts of the country. The wet weather has now subsided, though media reports said heavy rainfall was drenching parts of North Korea. Some 19 people have died, and nine were still missing in South Korea as of Tuesday morning, while 2,549 people remained displaced, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Damage to property was extensive, with some 3,776 facilities, including homes, shops and factories, needing to be cleared of water, debris and earth, it said. Noting the limitations of existing methods in coping with last week's rain, Lee ordered the prime minister and all related ministries to establish a comprehensive response system for natural disasters by region and type. Lee also told a cabinet meeting to 'strictly crack down on mindless public officials who enjoy dancing and drinking at.. locations where people are dying.' The president's approval rating fell to 62.2% from 64.6% previously, according to pollster Realmeter, in a survey conducted last week during the torrential rains. 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.
Emirates 24/7
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Emirates 24/7
Korea's death toll rises to 19 after heavy rains, landslides
Another person has been confirmed dead after last week's heavy rains and landslides, bringing the total death toll to 19, the government said Tuesday. Nine others also remain missing, raising the total number of those dead or unaccounted for from the heavy rainfall between Wednesday and Sunday to 28, according to tentative data from the interior ministry. The casualties include 10 dead in the southern county of Sancheong, three in the northern county of Gapyeong and two in the western city of Seosan, according to the ministry. Four of the missing were reported in Sancheong, while another four were reported in Gapyeong. Authorities have sped up recovery efforts, with about 2,976 of the 6,752 buildings and facilities reported damaged having undergone emergency restoration work. More than 14,000 people have taken shelter since the heavy rains started, with 2,549 people yet to return to their homes. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- 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.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- 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.
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 amid 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. 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.
