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Heavy downpours, landslides and floods in South Korea have killed at least 30 in the past several days, but the death toll may rise further as more than 10 people are missing. More heavy rains are also forecast in the southern part of the country due to an approaching typhoon.
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Torrential rains have wreaked havoc across the country since August 1, amid the prolonged monsoon season, Yonhap reports.
According to the data by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, the country's death toll stood at 30 as of Sunday, leaving 12 people missing and eight wounded.
Over the past three days, 13 people have died, two gone missing and one injured nationwide, according to the headquarters.
The death toll did not count the casualties from three capsized vessels at Uiam Dam in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers east of Seoul, which left three dead and three missing on Sunday. It was categorized as a marine accident.
More than 5,900 people from 11 provinces and cities left their homes, and some 4,600 of them remain at temporary shelters following warnings of disasters.
Some 9,300 hectares of farmland were swamped or buried, while 9,500 cases of damage to public and private facilities were reported. Repair work has been completed for 73.2 percent of the damage cases, according to the authorities.
Typhoon Jangmi, the season's fifth typhoon, is expected to hit the southern region of the Korean peninsula from today, bringing more rain in the flood-hit areas.
Formed early Sunday southwest of Okinawa, the typhoon is moving northeast and expected to pass waters off Jeju Island around 10:00 a.m. today, according to the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA).
The state weather agency said the tropical storm will probably arrive in waters off Busan, the southern port city, some 453 kilometers southeast of Seoul, around 3:00 p.m. local time Monday.
Due to the typhoon, Jeju Island and South Gyeongsang Province will experience strong winds and torrential rain in the coming days, while the rest of the country will experience heavy rainfall.
The KMA said the central area is projected to receive a rainfall of 100-300 mm, and the southern regions will see rainfall of 100-200 mm. It will rain up to 300 mm in some regions close to the typhoon's trajectory, it said.
As it coincides with the astronomical high tide period, the KMA advised people on the southeastern seaside to take extra precautions and be prepared for dangerous tides.
It also asked the people in the affected areas to be fully prepared for possible flooding or landslides.
A village in Hadong, South Gyeongsang province, is submerged by the overflow from the Seomjin River on August 8, due to two days of torrential rain.
