67 dead or missing in South Korean landslides

[News_Editor]

67 dead or missing in South Korean landslides

2011-07-29 02:08:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

SEOUL (BNO NEWS) -- At least 67 people are dead or missing due to floods and landslides triggered by recent heavy rains in South Korea, the country's disaster management agency said Thursday.

South Korea's National Emergency Management Agency said that the toll from this week's record rainfall has risen to 53 deaths and 14 people missing, according to Yonhap news agency. A series of mudslides that hit southern parts of Seoul on Wednesday left 16 dead and 20 others injured, while 13 people were killed and four were injured in a landslide in Chuncheon, some 75 kilometers (46 miles) northeast of Seoul.

A factory in Paju, north of Seoul, was also devastated in a landslide, leaving three killed, another missing and two seriously injured. Other deaths were also reported in Gwangju, Pocheon and other cities and counties surrounding Seoul, according to the agency.

The landslides and flooding were caused by the heavy rainfall in the region which began on Tuesday, causing power shortages in about 126,000 households across South Korea, with 803 households in Paju and nearby regions still remaining without electricity.

The heaviest downpours in a century also rendered 9,440 people from 4,809 households in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province homeless, while 2,036 people in Paju and other areas were evacuated from their homes. In addition, several public buildings and schools were forced to close, while a number of broadcasting services were cut off as well after power facilities were damaged.

Meanwhile, ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said at a press briefing on Thursday that about 10 landmines remained buried near an air defense artillery unit on Mount Umyeon in Seoul. On Wednesday, the ammunition depot was buried in a landslide, and explosives, such as mines and grenades, were lost.

"Chances are low that mines will be spotted," Kim said. "But we're preparing for any situation that may arise from the area. We have not yet received any report that the mines have been spotted."

The mines were placed after the 1950-53 Korean War, and a military official explained that most were removed between 1999 and 2006, Yonhap news agency reported.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, more than 110 millimeters (4.3 inches) of rainfall per hour was recorded in the central region of South Korea, including Seoul. Meteorologists said such amounts of rainfall in South Korea are seen only once or twice every 100 years.

So far, over 400 millimeters (15.8 inches) of rainfall has been recorded in Seoul alone during the past two days, but another 250 millimeters (9.8 inches) is expected until Friday.

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