South Korean Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said 26 people have been reported killed in the aftermath of the heavy rains that have pounded the country since last week, while 10 others remained missing as of 6 a.m., South Korean Yonhap news agency reported.
Rescuers have additionally recovered six bodies from a bus trapped in a flooded underground tunnel in the central town of Osong.
Most fatalities were reported in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, where 17 people died largely due to landslides and housing collapses, and nine others remained missing.
One more person remained missing in Busan, the office said. Thirteen people have also been injured nationwide as a result of the recent downpours.
As of 6 a.m., 7,540 people from 13 cities and provinces had evacuated their homes, including 2,301 in North Chungcheong Province, and of them, 5,933 have not returned home yet due to safety concerns, authorities also said.
A total of 226 public and private property damage cases have been reported, including 25 cases of destroyed or swept-away public roads, 25 cases of collapsed river embankments, and 33 flooded homes.
Heavy rains have also left 211 roads closed, and of them, 10 public ones remained out of service as of 6 a.m.
As of 5 a.m., heavy rain warnings were in place in southern inland areas of Gangwon Province, the Chungcheong provinces, southern regions, and Jeju Island. Coastal regions of South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces have been forecast to experience heavy rains of up to 30 millimeters per hour.
AMK/PR
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