South Korea flood: 13 bodies recovered from flooded tunnel

Rescuers working to succeed in passengers trapped in a flooded tunnel within the central South Korean metropolis of Cheongju have recovered 13 our bodies.

On Saturday evening, flood water from a burst river financial institution poured into the underpass, rapidly trapping folks of their vehicles and commuters on a bus.

Officers are but to reveal what number of bought caught within the 685m (2,247ft) tunnel, however mentioned there have been 15 autos.

No less than 39 folks have died in torrential rains the previous week.

South Korea has been hit by excessive rainfall which brought on floods, landslides and energy cuts.

As of Monday morning, at the least 9 folks have been nonetheless lacking after a weekend deluge, authorities mentioned.

Within the suburb of Osong, the place the tunnel flooded, a number of of the our bodies have been recovered from inside a bus. 9 survivors have been rescued on Saturday.

The victims’ households say the deaths may need been prevented had the native authorities responded successfully.

A number of native media retailers reported that a couple of hours earlier than the tragedy, the river flood management workplace had issued a warning concerning the alarming water ranges, and subsequently the visitors across the tunnel space ought to have been diverted.

A lot of the different fatalities have been within the mountainous North Gyeongsang area, the place landslides swept away entire homes.

Virtually 300mm (11.8in) of rain is reported to have fallen throughout South Korea on Saturday.

The nation usually sees 1,000mm (39.4in) to 1,800mm (70.9in) a 12 months, in response to the Korean Meteorological Affiliation – though a lot of that does fall in the course of the summer time months.

Aerial photos from flood-affected areas present brown mud and flood waters so deep, solely the tops of roofs can been seen protruding.

1000’s of individuals have been affected by evacuation orders issued by numerous native governments and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has requested the navy to assist with the rescue efforts.

Early on Saturday morning native time, some 6,400 residents have been evacuated after the Goesan Dam, additionally in North Chungcheong, started to overflow, the company mentioned.

Quite a lot of low-lying villages close to the dam in addition to lots of the roads connecting them have been submerged, leaving some residents trapped of their houses.

Late on Friday, a landslide brought on a practice to derail in North Chungcheong. One engineer was injured, however the practice was not carrying passengers on the time.

Korail, the nation’s nationwide rail operator, has introduced the suspension of all gradual trains and a few bullet trains, and mentioned different bullet companies can be disrupted.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast extra rainfall by to Wednesday subsequent week. It warned that the climate circumstances pose a “grave” hazard.

The hotter it turns into, the extra moisture the ambiance can maintain, leading to extra droplets and heavier rainfall, typically in a shorter house of time and over a smaller space.

Further reporting by BBC’s Yuna Ku in Seoul