Floods and landslides have killed at least 14 in South Korea, according to the country’s disaster management office. The floods and landslides were caused by days of torrential rain, and the death toll could rise as 12 people are reported missing amid continued emergency rescue efforts.
Footage showed people wading through thick mud in the landslide-hit resort town of Gapyeong on Sunday as they made their way across a damaged bridge to evacuation shelters, reports BBC.
Further south, an entire village was covered with earth and debris following a landslide in the central Chungcheon region, according to video footage from Saturday.
Much of the destruction has been in the country’s south, with six people killed and seven missing in Sancheong.
Thousands of roads and buildings have been damaged and submerged by raging floodwaters, with reports of damage to farmland and the widespread death of livestock.
Across the region, nearly 10,000 people have evacuated their homes since the downpour began on Wednesday, while more than 41,000 households have temporarily lost power, local media reported.
The rain has largely subsided in the worst-hit southern and central areas, but overnight the downpours moved north, and more heavy rain is still expected in the capital Seoul and northern regions on Sunday.
President Lee Jae-myung ordered the worst-hit areas to be declared as special disaster zones on Sunday and the government has launched a multi-agency recovery effort. Interior minister Yun Ho-jung asked local authorities to mobilise “all available resources” swiftly.
A landslide in the northern Gapyeong County, in Gyeonggi Province, killed two people when several properties were engulfed in mud, said government officials.
Since Wednesday, southern regions have received up to about 600-800 millimeters (24-31 inches) of rain, according to the ministry report, says AP.
An intense heatwave will follow the rainfall, which is predicted to end late on Sunday.