Four more bodies found in South Korea’s flooded underpass

SEOUL – Four more bodies have been recovered from a once-flooded underground road in central South Korea, bringing the number of people dead or missing in recent downpours to 49, officials said today.

The Osong underground roadway in Cheongju's central city was flooded Saturday after a nearby river overflowed after an embankment was brought down by rising water levels caused by heavy rain, trapping 15 vehicles, including a bus.

Four more bodies were recovered overnight, bringing the death toll to 13, according to Yonhap news agency.

Nationwide, 39 people, including 19 in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, had been reported to have been killed in the aftermath of the heavy rains that have pounded the country since last week as of 6am, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

As of 6am, nine people remain missing, including eight in North Gyeongsang Province, while 34 people have been reportedly injured, it added.

Casualties could rise as rescuers continue an operation to drain and search the flooded underpass, where more than 10 vehicles are believed to be submerged.

Across the country, 10,570 people evacuated their homes due to rain damage, according to the office.

Downpours have also damaged 628 public facilities and 317 other private properties, including 146 roads that collapsed or were swept away and 139 flooded homes.

A total of 28,607 households across the nation had been left without electricity as a result of the heavy rains, and power was back in service at most of those households today.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, more than 500mm of rain has pounded central and lower regions since July 9, including 626mm in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, 614mm in the nearby county of Cheongyang, 580mm in the central city of Sejong, and 522mm in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province.

Heavy rain warnings were in place for the Chungcheong provinces, southern regions, and Jeju Island this morning, and the weather agency said the Jeolla provinces and nearby areas may experience further rain of up to 40mm per hour, it reported.

Through tomorrow, up to 200mm of rain has been forecast for Chungcheong and the southern regions, and between 10mm and 100mm for the rest of the country. – Bernama, July 17, 2023