Thousands forced to evacuate their homes in South Korea

At least 35 people died and more than 10 were reportedly missing as heavy rains wreaked havoc in South Korea, forcing thousands to vacate their homes.

Seoul: At least 35 people died and more than 10 were reportedly missing as heavy rains wreaked havoc in South Korea, forcing thousands to vacate their homes, Yonhap news agency reported, citing authorities on Sunday.

Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes due to massive rain damage, the report noted.

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Apparently, the rains have pounded the country since last week, while 10 others remained missing as of 11 a.m. (local time), the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, according to Yonhap.

In the central town of Osong, seven bodies, which were found by authorities inside a bus stuck in a flooded underground tunnel, were included in the death toll.

At Osong in the country’s North Chungcheong Province, the 685-meter-long underground roadway was flooded the day before when a nearby river overflowed after a barrier was toppled by rising water levels brought on by heavy rain, Yonhap Agency reported.

Casualties are expected to rise as a rescue operation continues in the country. Electricity bailouts were reported in 13 cities and counties of South Korea. While electricity was restored in the majority of the places, over 8,300 households in Mungyeong, Yeongju and Yecheon in North Gyeongsang Province still don’t have electricity.

Crops and roads have been swept away due to floods, the reported stated further.