Torrential rains have pounded southern parts of South Korea, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to officials. The heavy downpours, which have been recorded in South Gyeongsang province, triggered a landslide in the city of Geoje, where an 800-mm deluge caused an apartment building to be hit. Police and firefighters rescued three residents from the building, but one of them was found in cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Two people were injured in Geoje, and two others were injured in nearby cities, the interior and safety ministry reported. Geoje received 805.7 mm of rain from Saturday through to 8am on Monday, while Tongyeong received 671.9 mm during the same period. The heavy rains have triggered warnings from authorities, forced about 390 people to evacuate, and caused power outages at about 3,580 houses.
Twelve schools and kindergartens have reportedly flooded, while firefighters have received dozens of calls from residents seeking help with rain-related damage and accidents. Prime minister Han Seong-sook instructed police, firefighters, and other authorities to make every effort to rescue stranded residents and others at risk from the heavy rain. In a separate incident, heavy monsoon rains have also flooded key streets and snarled traffic in the Philippine capital, Manila.
The government suspended government work and asked schools to shift to online learning on Monday. The rains have left at least 23 people dead, mostly due to landslides and floods, and affected 5 million people, including nearly 25,000 who remained in government emergency shelters on Monday in several northern provinces. Among the dead were 10 people, including children, whose houses were buried by a landslide in the northern mountain resort city of Baguio on 9 August.
Three others were dug out alive with injuries by rescuers from the avalanche of mud, rocks, and debris that collapsed from a mountainside as people slept, officials said.
