The number of people who have died or are missing due to heavy rains that have been pounding South Korea the past week has risen to 50, public broadcaster KBS reported Tuesday.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of 6 (am local time), 41 people had died, nine were missing and 35 were injured due to the persistent downpours that began on July 9.
It marks the largest number of deaths and missing persons since 2011, when it reached 78. Most of the deaths came in North Gyeongsang and Chungcheong provinces, with 27 dead or missing and 17 injured in North Gyeongsang caused by landslides. In North Chungcheong, the death toll came to 17, including 14 from a flooded underpass.
In about 120 cities, counties and districts, over 12,000 people from 8,000 households were evacuated to temporary shelters. Roughly 320 houses, six fishing vessels and some 60 vehicles have suffered water damage while over 900 public facilities, including roads and bridges, have been washed away or destroyed. In Seoul, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to eliminate state subsidies corruptly benefiting certain entities and redirect the funds toward the ongoing rain damage recovery and compensation for victims.
Source: Kuwait News Agency