Heavy rainfall in South Korea kills two

Seoul, June 30 (EFE).- Intense monsoon rains hitting South Korea, especially the central and southern regions, have left two people dead, including a 14-month-old girl, the police said Friday.

The little girl died after a landslide partially buried her family’s home in Yeongju, 160 kilometers (99 miles) southeast of Seoul.

The landslide occurred around 5 am on Thursday and all the occupants of the house managed to escape except for the baby, who was rescued two hours later by firefighters already in cardiorespiratory arrest.

Since Thursday, Yeongju has recorded about 160 millimeters of rainfall, which has caused flooding in 100 houses and led to evacuation of another 15 due to landslides.

The rains, which are expected to continue until late Friday, have also destroyed a bridge in the city.

Firefighters on Thursday found the body of a 67-year-old woman, who is believed to have been swept away by floodwaters in Hampyeong county in South Jeolla province, located 275 kilometers south of Seoul.

Around 200 mm of rainfall has been recorded in some parts of this province – worst hit by rainfall -, which has led to the closure of multiple roads and hiking routes.

No significant damage has been reported in Seoul, where the authorities have restricted access to 27 streams.

Four pumping stations are currently operating in Seoul to prevent record flooding like last August, which killed 16 people. EFE