Deadly landslide follows nearly a metre of rain in South Korea’s Geoje
One person died and four were injured after torrential rain triggered a landslide in Geoje, as evacuations and power cuts affected South Gyeongsang province.
In short
- One person died and four were injured after torrential rain triggered a landslide in Geoje, as evacuations and power cuts affected South Gyeongsang province.
Torrential rain in southern South Korea triggered a deadly landslide in the city of Geoje after the area received close to a metre of rainfall over several days.
One person died after a landslide struck an apartment building, while four people were injured across Geoje and nearby cities, according to figures attributed to South Korea’s interior and safety ministry. Police and firefighters rescued three residents from the apartment building; one was found in cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Geoje recorded 805.7 millimetres of rain from Saturday, August 15, through 8 a.m. on Monday, August 17. Continued rain pushed the city’s cumulative total to 912 millimetres by 6 p.m. Monday. Nearby Tongyeong received 671.9 millimetres over the same weekend period.
Authorities said about 390 people were evacuated and roughly 3,580 homes lost power. Twelve schools and kindergartens were also reported flooded. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook instructed police, firefighters and other agencies to prioritize rescues and people at risk.
Weather officials said South Gyeongsang province received the equivalent of an entire summer’s rainfall in two days, underscoring the severity of the downpour. Emergency crews continued responding to flood and rain-damage calls as officials monitored conditions across the province.
