SOUTH KOREA: Second landslide caused by sudden torrential rain kills at least six people in Seoul

Record ID: 333139

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Second landslide caused by sudden torrential rain kills at least six people in Seoul
  • Date: 28th July 2011
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 27, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LANDSLIDE AFTERMATH FIRE ENGINE VARIOUS OF EXCAVATOR REMOVING DEBRIS FROM ROAD VEHICLES BRANCHES AND SOIL SOLDIERS REMOVING EARTH AND SAND FROM HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREA LIEUTENANT MAJOR JUNG YOUNG-HWAN, SAYING: "Six are dead or missing and there are more than 20 flooded houses. We've started recovery work with soldiers and machines for several places swept by the landslide. It will be hard to recover because the area is totally covered by earth and sand." VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS REMOVING EARTH AND SAND FROM ROAD RESIDENTS REMOVING BRICKS FROM HOUSE BRANCHES AND BROKEN CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SEOUL RESIDENT JUNG GAP-GYUN, SAYING: "There are so many destroyed houses including my house, and loss of lives because it happened so suddenly. We feel so desperate and cannot imagine how we can recover." VARIOUS OF BROKEN CAR CAR IN FRONT OF HOUSE BRANCHES AND ROCKS SHOE IN HEAVY RAIN
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Disasters,Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA8XEJZ4MJI1WX0ZYUSUC2Y7J13
  • Story Text: South Korea on Wednesday (July 27) was hit by at least two landslides caused by torrential rain.
    Local media said the latest landslide in Seoul crashed into a small village in the capital and destroyed about 20 houses and killed at least six people.
    Wild weather has battered the central region of the country since late Tuesday (July 26), causing widespread flooding and travel chaos.
    Lieutenant Major Jung Young-hwan from the South Korean army said recovery work would be difficult.
    "Six are dead or missing and there are more than 20 flooded houses. We've started recovery work with soldiers and machines for several places swept by the landslide.
    It will be hard to recover because the area is totally covered by earth and sand," he said.
    Looking at the damage caused by the landslide, Seoul resident Jung Gap-gyun said he felt desperate.
    "There are so many destroyed houses including my house, and loss of lives because it happened so suddenly. We feel so desperate and cannot imagine how we can recover," he said.
    More than 400 mm (16 inches) of rain has fallen on Seoul in the past 24 hours, causing flash floods, landslides and bridge closures.
    The weather bureau said the heavy rain would last until Friday (July 29).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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