South Korea’s southern region faced heavy rainfall on Monday (August 17), leading to a landslide that resulted in 1 death and 2 injuries. According to Yonhap News Agency, the landslide occurred near an apartment building in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, after 4:30 am local time. The mud buried the ground floor of the apartment, trapping over 20 people. Rescue teams managed to save 3 residents buried in the mud, but one person remained unconscious and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Prior to the incident, the Korean Meteorological Administration had issued a heavy rain alert for the southern region. Since Saturday, some areas have experienced up to 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) of rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms.
Geoje is a coastal city near Busan, and the torrential rain caused flooding, road blockages, and stranded residents in the city. In response to the risk of further landslides, the South Korean Ministry of the Interior announced on Monday that around 100 residents in Geoje were being evacuated, with efforts to rescue over twenty trapped individuals in the area.
As reported by Korea JoongAng Daily, the Geoje city authorities stated that as of 8 am on Monday, approximately 70 stranded residents had been evacuated to safer locations. Due to the overload on drainage systems, several roads in the city center were repeatedly submerged, resulting in the closure of around 20 roads, prohibiting traffic.
Public buses, intercity buses, and taxis have ceased operations in the city. Power outages have affected about 1500 households and businesses, causing further disruptions for residents.
Authorities are continuing to deploy rescue operations in the affected areas to assist those in need.