Seoul: 7 die from torrential rain

At least seven people have died from torrential rains in the South Korean capital city of Seoul and neighboring area, authorities said Tuesday.

At least four people died as a result of being trapped by floodwaters — they were either electrocuted or stranded at a bus stop or died as a result of a landslide, said the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

The agency, in charge of management of natural disasters, said nine others were injured and six were missing.

Five people died in Seoul and two others in the neighboring Gyeonggi province as of 6 a.m. local time (2100 GMT), the agency said.

At least 790 people were also forced to evacuate from their homes given the levels of water, according to the Interior and Safety Ministry. 

President Yoon Suk Yeol called an emergency response meeting, asking authorities to focus on preventing casualties.

"The heavy rainfall is expected to continue for days. We need to maintain our sense of alert and respond with all-out effort," said the president.

Heavy rains submerge roads, knock out power

The southern part of Seoul received more than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain per hour on late Monday, while other parts of the city received 141.55 mm of rain per hour, the heaviest in 80 years, according to local media citing Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The rains knocked out power in several buildings in Gangnam district, one of Seoul's most affluent neighborhoods.

Nearly 800 buildings in Seoul and nearby cities were damaged, according to the Interior and Safety Ministry.

Cars, buses and subway stations were submerged within hours, leaving people stranded. Some stores were also under water.

The military stood prepared to deploy troops to help with recovery efforts if requested by cities or regional governments, said Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Hong-sik.

The accumulated rainfall in Seoul stood at 420 mm as of 5 a.m. Tuesday.

More rainfall expected

The central disaster headquarters has raised the crisis alert level to the highest and asked all organizations to adjust their working hours.

The KMA has issued heavy rain warnings across the capital and surrounding areas, and expects rainfall to continue through at least Wednesday.

rm/aw (Reuters, AP)