Torrential rains leave 37 dead, 9 missing in S.Korea

Flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains have killed 37 people in South Korea and left nine people missing, while thousands have evacuated their homes due to rain damage, authorities said July 16, Report informs referring to Yonhap.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said 37 people had reportedly been killed in the aftermath of the heavy rains that have pounded the country since last week, while nine others remained missing as of 6 a.m.

The death toll includes nine bodies authorities recovered from a bus trapped in a flooded underground tunnel in the central town of Osong.

The 685-meter-long underground roadway was flooded in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, the previous day when a nearby river overflowed after an embankment was brought down by rising water levels due to heavy rain.

Casualties from the underpass flooding are expected to rise further as a rescue operation continues for 15 vehicles and several people believed to be trapped inside the tunnel.