South Korea: Rescuers look for survivors after deadly floods

More than 30 people have been killed and thousands have been forced to evacuate as days of heavy rain triggered flash floods and landslides in South Korea.

The majority of deaths occurred in the mountainous region of North Gyeongsang, where landslides caused houses to be swept away.

The ministry of the interior and safety reported that the rainfall led to the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people and left over 27,260 homes without power.

Rescuers were also trying to reach people trapped in a tunnel central city of Cheongju, the iministry said on Sunday.

Nine survivors were rescued from the tunnel, but it was unclear how many people remain trapped,

The tunnel flooded on Saturday morning after water from an overflowing river caused flash flooding trapping motorists inside.

"We are focusing on the search operation as there's likely more people there," Seo Jeong-il, head of the west Cheongju fire station, told reporters on Sunday.

More rain expected

The Korean Meteorological Administration warned that the weather conditions pose a "grave" danger, and forecasted more rainfall to Wednesday.

Despite the regular flooding in the monsoon season, South Korea is generally well-prepared for the situation and the death toll is relatively low.

In 2022, however, the country faced record breaking rainfall which triggered floods, leaving 11 people dead. This includes the death of three people who died in a Seoul basement apartment which was the basis of the Oscar-winning move Parasite.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is on an overseas trip which includes a surprise trip to Ukraine on Saturday, directed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to mobilize resources to minimize the casualties, his office said.

South Korea is one of the several countries dealing withdeadly floods.