Article Author:
Associated Press
Kim Tong-hyung
Seoul, South Korea (AP) — Heavy rains drenched the South Korean metropolitan area, turning streets in Seoul's affluent Gangnam district into rivers, Leaving behind submerged vehicles and overwhelming public transportation. At least seven people were killed and six went missing.
Commuters slowly returned to work Tuesday morning after emergency workers worked through the night to clean up much of the clutter. However, there were concerns about further damage, such as heavy rain expected for two days in a row.
Most subway services in the Seoul metropolitan area have returned to normal operations, but about 80 roads and dozens of riverside parking lots have been closed due to safety concerns. remained.
President Yoon Seok-yeol called on public officials and private businesses to adjust commute times to restore damaged facilities and evacuate people in risk areas to prevent more deaths. encouraged active action.
Rain began Monday morning and intensified through the evening. Nearly 800 buildings were damaged in Seoul and neighboring cities, and more than 400 people were displaced, according to the Ministry of Interior and Security.
Rescue workers were unable to reach the three of him when he called for help before drowning in an underground house in the Gwanak district of southern Seoul on Monday night. Another woman drowned at her home in the nearby Dongjak district, the ministry said. She died while officials were cleaning up a fallen tire. She's probably because she stepped into a body of water electrified by a damaged power line.
Two of her men were found dead in the rubble of a collapsed bus station and a landslide in nearby Gwangju.
The National Meteorological Agency issued a heavy rain warning for the Seoul metropolitan area and surrounding areas on Tuesday, with some areas expected to receive 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) of rain per hour. said it was possible.
From Monday to Tuesday at 9 a.m., more than 42 centimeters (16.5 inches) of rain was recorded in Seoul's hardest-hit Dongjak district. Hourly precipitation for the area topped 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) at some point Monday night. This was the largest hourly rainfall measured in Seoul since 1942.