SEOUL: The death toll from South Korea’s relentless downpours has climbed to 14, with two more fatalities reported on Sunday. The interior ministry confirmed the latest casualties as rescue teams continue searching for 12 missing individuals amid ongoing heavy rainfall.
Gapyeong county in Gyeonggi province recorded nearly 170 millimetres of rain early Sunday, resulting in two deaths and four disappearances. A landslide claimed the life of a woman in her 70s, while a man in his 40s drowned near a bridge, according to Yonhap news agency.
The hardest-hit area remains Sancheong, where eight people have died and six remain unaccounted for after nearly 800 millimetres of rain since Wednesday. Rescue teams recovered two more bodies there on Sunday.
READ ALSO: South Korea heavy rains kill 10, nine missing in landslides
South Korea’s monsoon season typically peaks in July, but this year’s rainfall has been unusually severe, with some regions experiencing record-breaking hourly downpours. Scientists attribute the intensifying weather patterns to climate change, recalling similar devastation in 2022 when floods killed 11 people. – AFP
