Landslide in South Korea kills one as record rain lashes south
It comes as large swathes of East and South East Asia have been pummelled by dats of heavy rain.
A landslide in South Korea has claimed one life and injured two others, as record-breaking rainfall continues to batter the southern Gyeongsang province.
The incident occurred Monday morning in the southeastern city of Geoje, where a landslide engulfed the first floor of an apartment building. Rescuers extricated three individuals, one of whom was later pronounced dead, according to local media reports.
This event coincides with a period of unprecedented rainfall across parts of China, Japan, and the Philippines, triggered by successive storms, leading to extensive flooding and landslides.
Geoje experienced an extraordinary 124.5mm of rain within a single hour, marking the highest hourly rainfall recorded for the city since South Korea's meteorological agency began tracking data there in 1972. Overnight between Sunday and Monday, Geoje received over 400mm of rain.
Social media footage from Geoje depicts vehicles submerged and streets inundated by powerful currents.
In response to the severe weather, city authorities announced the closure of several tourist attractions for Monday. Bus services and household waste collection have also been suspended due to flooded or damaged roadways.
On Sunday, officials advised residents to refrain from driving, avoid areas such as riverbanks, and evacuate to secure locations if necessary.
The landslide in Geoje city significantly impacted an apartment building.
This month, multiple storms have swept across vast areas of East and Southeast Asia, resulting in widespread flooding and damage to infrastructure. Forecasters predict a more intense typhoon season than usual this year, attributed to a strong El Niño phenomenon that commenced in June. El Niño is known to elevate global temperatures and intensify typhoon strength.
Late last week, "unprecedented" rainfall struck Japan's Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo, causing 10 fatalities and stranding thousands at Narita Airport. The heavy downpour also resulted in power outages for over 20,000 households.
Japanese authorities reported on Sunday that the tenth fatality was a man in his 30s, discovered deceased in his home from carbon monoxide poisoning. He had been utilizing a generator due to the power disruption, as reported by public broadcaster NHK.