ALBAWABA - Rescue teams retrieve at least 7 bodies trapped in the Osong area in a tunnel, as the death toll rises to 33, and rescue teams rush to help victims caught by flash floods caused by days of torrential rain.
Officials have confirmed through surveillance footage that there are 15 vehicles on the flooded road in Osong, including a bus, and said 11 people have been reported missing in the flooded underpass, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Seo Jeong-il, head of the West Cheongju fire station, said 15 vehicles, including a bus, were estimated to have been submerged in the flooded underpass in the city. "We are focusing on the search operation as there are likely more people there," Seo said. “We are doing our best to wrap it up today”.
Since July 9, South Korea has been pummeled by heavy rainfall, as thousands of houses had been left without power in the previous seven days, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and more than 2,000 people remained in temporary shelters as of Saturday afternoon.
The central regions received the most rainfall, with more than 600 millimeters (24 in) in Gongju and Cheongyang counties.
According to local reports, almost 4,200 Koreans remained in temporary shelters as of Saturday night. It went on to say that nearly 200 routes were stopped.
The rainfalls have caused travel disruptions across the country, causing the cancellation of 20 flights and the suspension of regular train services and certain bullet trains, according to the ministry.
