South Korea is reeling from a wave of deadly floods as relentless monsoon rains claimed at least 14 lives, with 12 more still missing, following five days of extreme weather, the Ministry of the Interior confirmed on Sunday.
The most recent casualties were reported in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, located around 70 kilometres east of Seoul, where 170 millimetres (6.7 inches) of rainfall battered the area early Sunday morning. Among the victims were a woman in her 70s who died after a landslide collapsed her home, and a man in his 40s found drowned near a bridge, according to Yonhap news agency.
The brunt of the devastation has struck the southern county of Sancheong, where nearly 800 millimetres of rainfall have fallen since Wednesday. Emergency crews uncovered two more bodies on Sunday, bringing Sancheong’s death toll to eight, with six people still unaccounted for in the rural area of 33,000 residents.
Despite South Korea’s preparedness for the typical July monsoon season, this week’s rainfall has broken hourly records in parts of the country. Authorities are now warning of further risks, including landslides and flash floods, as the rain continues in some regions.
Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying rainfall patterns across the globe. South Korea experienced similar devastation in 2022, when record-breaking rainfall led to deadly flooding in the capital, killing at least 11 people.
Authorities are urging residents in high-risk areas to evacuate immediately and remain vigilant as recovery operations continue amid challenging weather conditions.
