Key facts
- A landslide in Geoje, South Korea, killed one person and injured three.
- The landslide occurred around 4:42 a.m. near an apartment complex in Geoje's Okpo neighborhood.
- Soil and debris buried the first floor of an apartment building.
- Record rainfall has been battering South Korea, with some areas receiving up to 800 millimeters of rain.
- At least four people have died nationwide due to intense monsoon rains.
- Over 1,300 people have been asked to evacuate their homes.
A landslide in Geoje, South Korea, killed one person and injured three amid heavy rainfall that has lashed the country's southern regions. The landslide struck a residential apartment building, burying its first floor and trapping residents. Rescue workers pulled three individuals from the debris, but one later died at a hospital.
South Korea's weather agency issued heavy rain warnings for parts of the southern region, with some areas recording up to 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) of rain since Saturday. In Geoje, rivers overflowed and roads were inundated, disrupting traffic and leaving residents stranded. Approximately 100 residents were evacuated due to the risk of further landslides, and authorities rescued 20 stranded individuals.
Record downpours have affected other parts of the country as well. In Seosan, a man died when his car was swept away by floodwaters, and two elderly men also lost their lives in flood-related incidents. Over 1,300 people have been asked to evacuate nationwide. A landslide in Cheongyang briefly trapped two residents who were subsequently rescued. In Osan, a retaining wall collapse killed a man in his 40s.
The intense rainfall is attributed to the collision of a cold air mass from the northwest with warm, moist winds from the North Pacific, creating an unstable rain cloud system. This has led to localized hourly rainfall exceeding thresholds, overwhelming drainage systems and triggering disaster alerts. Train services have also been partially suspended due to waterlogged tracks.