Seoul: 7 die from torrential rain

Seoul, Aug 09: At least seven people have died from torrential rains in the South Korean capital city of Seoul and neighboring area, authorities said Tuesday.

At least four people died as a result of being trapped by floodwaters — they were either electrocuted or stranded at a bus stop or died as a result of a landslide, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said.

The agency, in charge of management of natural disasters, said nine others were injured and six were missing.

Five people died in Seoul and two others in the neighboring Gyeonggi Province as of 6 a.m. local time (2100 GMT), the agency said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol called an emergency response meeting as well, asking authorities to focus on preventing casualties, the agency added.

Heavy rains submerge roads, knock out power

The southern part of Seoul received more than 100 mm (3.9 inches) of rain per hour on late Monday, while other parts of the city received 141.55 mm of rain per hour, the heaviest in 80 years, according to local media citing Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The rains knocked out power in several buildings in Gangnam district, one of Seoul's most affluent neighborhoods.

Cars, buses, and subway stations were submerged within hours, leaving people stranded. Some stores were also under water.

The accumulated rainfall in Seoul stood at 420mm as of 5 a.m. Tuesday.

More rainfall expected

The central disaster headquarters raised the crisis alert level to the highest and asked all organizations to adjust their working hours.

The KMA issued heavy rain warnings across the capital and surrounding areas, and expects rainfall to continue through at least Wednesday.

Source: DW