South Korea: Several bodies pulled from flooded underpass

The tunnel in the central city of Cheonglu filled with water in as little as two or three minutes, trapping some 15 vehicles, officials said. Several days of torrential rain have left more than 35 people dead

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Rescuers work to search for survivors along a road submerged by floodwaters leading to an underground tunnel in Cheongju, South Korea — Some 15 vehicles were reportedly trapped in an underpass after a nearby river overflowedImage: South Korea National Fire Agency/AP/picture alliance

The bodies of seven people trapped in a tunnel submerged by heavy rain in South Korea were retrieved on Sunday, authorities and local media said.

Nearly 400 rescue workers, including divers, continued to search the tunnel in the central city of Cheongju for other victims, having found one body and nine survivors a day earlier.

More than a dozen vehicles, including a bus, were swamped in the tunnel by a flash flood Saturday evening when water from an overflowing river poured into the tunnel, trapping motorists inside.

Rescuers expect to find more bodies

"We are focusing on the search operation as there are likely more people there," Seo Jeong-il, head of the west Cheongju fire station, told reporters. "We are doing our best to wrap it up today."

Days of strong rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides that have left more than 35 people dead and forced the evacuation of thousands more.

The majority of deaths occurred in the mountainous region of North Gyeongsang, where landslides caused houses to be swept away.

Across the country, at least 10 people were still considered missing after the floods, officials said.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported that the rainfall led to the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people and left over 27,260 homes without power.

Korea Railroad Corp halted all slow trains and some bullet trains over the past two days due to safety concerns over landslides, track flooding and falling rocks.

Rescue workers take part in a search and rescue operation at an underpass that has been submerged by an flooded river caused by torrential rain in Cheongju, South Korea — The tunnel flooded on Saturday morning after water rushed in too quickly for people to escapeImage: Kim Hong-ji/REUTERS

More rain expected

The Korean Meteorological Administration warned that the weather conditions pose a "grave" danger and that more rainfall was forecast until Wednesday.

Despite the regular flooding in the monsoon season, South Korea is generally well-prepared for the situation and the death toll is relatively low.

In 2022, however, the country faced record-breaking rainfall which triggered floods, leaving 11 people dead. This includes the death of three people who died in a Seoul basement apartment which was the basis of the Oscar-winning movie "Parasite."

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is on an overseas trip that includes a surprise trip to Ukraine on Saturday, directed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to mobilize resources to minimize the casualties, his office said.

South Korea is one of the several countries dealing with deadly floods.