Torrential rains have pummelled South Korea’s Gyeongsang province, triggering a landslide that killed one person and wounded two others.
The landslide buried the first floor of an apartment building in the southeastern city of Geoje on Monday morning. Rescuers pulled out three people, one of whom was later declared dead.
This comes as record rainfall triggered by back‑to‑back storms caused widespread flooding and landslides in parts of China, Japan and the Philippines.
Geoje city saw 124.5 mm of rain in a one‑hour period, the highest since South Korea’s meteorological agency started keeping records for the city in 1972. Between Sunday and Monday, Geoje received more than 400 mm of rain overnight.
Videos on social media show cars submerged in Geoje as strong currents swept the streets.
City authorities announced that some tourist attractions will be closed on Monday due to the heavy rain. Bus operations and household waste collection have also been suspended due to flooded or damaged roads.
On Sunday, authorities urged residents to avoid driving, stay away from places like riverbanks and evacuate to safe areas if needed.
Multiple storms swept through large swathes of East and South‑East Asia this month, causing widespread flooding and damage to infrastructure. Forecasters said this year’s typhoon season is shaping up to be more intense than usual, driven by a strong El Niño that began in June. Late last week, “unprecedented” rainfall battered Japan’s Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, leaving 10 people dead and stranding thousands at Narita Airport.
