South Korea flooding: Death toll rises as rescuers retrieve bodies
South Korean rescue workers have pulled seven bodies from vehicles trapped in a flooded tunnel, raising the death toll from days of torrential rain and landslides to 35.
Several vehicles, including a public bus, became trapped by rising flood waters in the 685-meter-long underpass, situated in the central city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong province, on Saturday.
South Korea’s Ministry of Interior and Safety said seven bodies have been recovered from the tunnel and divers were working around the clock searching for more victims.
Seo Jeong-il, head of the west Cheongju fire station, said nine survivors were rescued from the submerged tunnel and 11 others were believed to be missing, adding, however, that the exact number of passengers trapped in vehicles wasn’t immediately clear.
He also noted that almost 400 rescue workers, including divers, were searching the flooded tunnel.
“We are focusing on the search operation as there’s likely more people there,” Seo said. “We are doing our best to wrap it up today.”
Since July 9, South Korea has been pounded by torrential downpours, which have forced more than 6,100 people to evacuate their homes and left 27,260 households without electricity. The rainfall has also destroyed dozens of homes and triggered landslides.
Most fatalities were reported in the eastern North Gyeongsang province, where landslides have swept away whole houses.
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