Seoul: Two people have died and two others were injured as heavy downpours pounded South Korea's central and southern regions, authorities said Thursday, warning of continued rainfall in the coming days. As of 4 p.m., more than 1,300 residents had been evacuated from their homes, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the government has raised the weather-related disaster alert to its highest level, "serious," due to the escalating damage caused by the ongoing heavy rainfall. The headquarters has also activated the highest stage of its emergency response system, mobilizing all relevant government ministries and agencies for a full-scale disaster response. This marks the first time the emergency protocol has been issued since Typhoon Khanun struck the country in August 2023.
On Wednesday, a retaining wall collapsed onto a moving vehicle in the city of Osan, 52 kilometers south of Seoul, resulting in the death of the driver. In Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, a man was found in cardiac arrest inside a flooded vehicle on a road at around 3:59 a.m. Thursday. He was transported to a nearby hospital but did not survive. Additionally, two minor injuries, including hypothermia, were reported in Seosan and Buyeo.
Since Wednesday evening, as much as 400 mm of rain has fallen in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, which is identified as the hardest-hit area, according to weather officials. In Seosan, 114.9 mm of rain fell in just one hour between 1:46 a.m. and 2:46 a.m., recording the highest hourly rainfall for July since observations began there in 1968.
Heavy rain triggered a landslide in Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Province, leaving two residents briefly trapped before being rescued. Fire authorities stated that the two were transported to a nearby hospital, sustaining leg injuries but not in any life-threatening conditions. In the city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, 67.4 mm of rain fell per hour, marking the second-highest rainfall.
As of 7 a.m. Thursday, 26 emergency text alerts for heavy rain were issued nationwide via mobile phones, with 25 of them targeting the Chungcheong area. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issues such alerts when hourly rainfall exceeds 50 mm and three-hour cumulative rainfall tops 90 mm, or when one-hour rainfall alone surpasses 72 mm.
According to the KMA, regions in the central Chungcheong area, southern Gyeonggi Province, and most southern regions could receive more than 300 mm of rain by Saturday. Meanwhile, around 100 to 200 mm of rain is expected in the southern cities of Gwangju, Busan, and Ulsan, with 50 to 150 mm of rain in North and South Chungcheong provinces. North Jeolla Province and the southern island of Jeju Island are expected to receive 50 to 100 mm of rain.