Seoul: Heavy rains that battered South Korea for three days have left four people dead, another missing, and more than 5,000 people evacuated, officials said Friday, as weather authorities warned of more torrential rains across the nation. Most fatalities were reported in South Chungcheong Province from the downpours that pounded the nation's central and southern regions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, one individual was found in cardiac arrest inside a flooded vehicle on a road in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. Despite being taken to a nearby hospital, the individual did not survive. Additionally, an elderly man in his 80s was discovered deceased in the basement of his home. A retaining wall collapsed onto a moving vehicle, resulting in the death of its driver, and another person was found dead in a stream.
A search is underway for a missing person in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Authorities received a report around 10:18 p.m. Thursday indicating that the individual had been swept away by river currents near a bridge. As of 6 a.m. Friday, 5,192 people from 13 cities and provinces have been evacuated due to safety concerns.
A total of 496 public and 276 private property damage cases have been reported, including 328 instances of flooded roads and 30 cases of collapsed river embankments. Two passenger ferry routes have been suspended, and train services on seven major lines were partially halted. Furthermore, 45 blackouts were reported, with 36 restored by early Friday, while efforts continue to address the remaining nine.
On Thursday, the government elevated the weather-related disaster alert to its highest level, "serious," responding to the escalating damage caused by the ongoing heavy rainfall. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters also activated the highest stage of its emergency response system, mobilizing all relevant government ministries and agencies for full-scale disaster response. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts an additional 100 to 200 mm of rain from Thursday to Friday for the southern cities of Gwangju, Busan, and Ulsan, and 50 to 150 mm for the central Chungcheong area and North Jeolla Province, as well as Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.