(2nd LD) Heavy rain pummels central S. Korea; casualties reported in landslides

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES with details throughout, photos)

SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- Heavy rain continued to pound South Korea's central regions and the greater Seoul area Monday, flooding houses and roads, and prompting authorities to close riverside and mountainous areas.

More than 100 millimeters of rain per hour soaked Chuncheon in mountainous Gangwon Province and heavy rain of 80 mm hit parts of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul.

Heavy rain advisories had been issued for the greater Seoul area, as well as Sejong, North and South Chungcheong Provinces and Gangwon and North Gyeongsang Provinces as of 2 p.m. Up to 90 mm of rain continued to fall in northern areas of Chungcheong.

In Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, a landslide swept over a temporary building in a semiconductor parts factory, killing three workers in their 30s and injuring one in his 50s. Two other workers managed to escape.

The workers were reportedly working in a makeshift building made of panels. Fire authorities said it took them nearly one hour to locate the victims as soil piled up several meters high.

In Gapyeong, also in Gyeonggi Province, the gas and water supply was temporarily suspended to restore pipes that have been exposed due to heavy rain.

Four people, including a child, were reported missing after a mudslide engulfed an accommodation in the Gyeonggi county. Fire authorities recovered an unidentified female body at the search site.

A person was swept up in a mountain stream in Gapyeong, according to a report.

The rain was estimated to have damaged 112 houses and 1,043 hectares of land in the province. Seventy cases of landslides were reported.

In Seoul, a hole measuring 2 meters in width and 1.5 meters in depth appeared at a road in the southern area of Gangnam. Authorities are restoring the road. No casualties were reported.

Elsewhere in Seoul, authorities helped pump out water from flooded houses and remove trees that had been toppled by the heavy rain.

Entry to most of the 11 parks along the Han River has been banned as water levels spiked and swamped the areas. Entrance to streams and mountains are also being restricted to prevent accidents.

Entry to parts of Olympic Expressway, a key highway that connects southern Seoul with Gyeonggi Province, was also banned as water levels quickly rose.

Similar damage was reported in the city of Incheon and the provinces of North Jeolla and South Chungcheong.

Areas in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, were swamped as 50-80 mm of rain hit the area. Rain swelled up to knee-level in a traditional market and covered car rooftops on some roads.

Meanwhile, most train services that had been suspended due to mudslides resumed earlier Monday. However, trains connecting Chungju and Jecheon, both in North Chungcheong Province, and Youngju and Donghae in the eastern region remained disrupted. The Taebaek line also remained suspended.

The central disaster agency said that six have died and eight have gone missing due to the heavy rain as of Monday morning. At least 190 houses were damaged, forcing 818 people to leave them. More than 1,500 people left the area.

President Moon Jae-in has called off his scheduled summer holiday amid growing damage from torrential rain, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

Moon was briefed on the extent of damage caused by heavy rain nationwide and expressed concerns over people's safety, presidential deputy spokesperson Yoon Jae-kwan said in a briefing.

mlee@yna.co.kr
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