Seoul: At least nine people killed and seven others missing in city South Korea Major roads, metro stations and homes were flooded after record rains, officials said on Wednesday.
Monday’s rain is the heaviest since South Korea began weather observations 115 years ago, according to the president Yoon Suk-yol, who apologized for the “inconveniences”.
In pictures shared on social media earlier this week, people can be seen filling waist-deep water and water at metro stations.
Seoul’s posh Gangnam district was particularly badly affected, where cars were half-submerged.
“There have been a total of 16 casualties, including nine dead and seven missing,” a Interior Ministry official told AFP.
Overall, around 600 people have been affected, he said, with many forced to leave their homes.
Of the nine victims, three died while being trapped in their flooded semi-basement apartment, which was built with a . is referred to as banjihaAccording to the ministry.
Local reports say that the victims were the teenager, her mother and her aunt.
Another victim died while clearing a tree that had fallen on the sidewalk, and is believed to have suffered an electric shock.
Another died after his house was buried in a landslide in mountainous Gangwon province.
President Yoon, who visited the Banjiha apartment on Tuesday, acknowledged that the South Korean people had “been greatly harmed”.
In a separate government meeting, he asked officials to pay special attention to the most vulnerable.
“People who struggle financially or physically are more vulnerable to natural disasters,” he said.
According to the latest, Yoon’s approval rating has dropped to just 24 percent since taking office in May Gallup Korea public opinion. He is facing criticism for not visiting the government’s emergency control center when it starts raining.
Local media reported that his absence was due to flooding around his home, but his office denied the claim, saying he decided to stay at home because his team already had a reaction.
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