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| Train tracks near Samtan Station on the Chungbuk Line are submerged due to heavy rain, Sunday. / Yonhap |
Country to come under influence of typhoon this week
By Jun Ji-hye
The central parts of the nation were hit by torrential rains, Sunday, with some areas experiencing rainfall of more than 200 millimeters per hour, leaving at least five dead and eight others missing in North Chungcheong and Gyeonggi provinces as of 9 p.m.
The heavy rains caused landslides and floods forcing the suspension of train services in Gangwon Province and the Chungcheong region.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast that heavy rains in the interior region will continue this week as the nation is expected to come under the influence of Typhoon Hagupit.
A landslide engulfed a barn in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, at 10:30 a.m., causing a gas explosion and subsequent fire, killing a 56-year-old woman, according to the local fire department.
In that city, a firefighter went missing in a flash flood at 7:30 a.m., officials said, noting that a search is underway.
In Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, a 58-year-old man was killed in a landslide that engulfed a chicken farm.
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| Firefighters carry out a search operation at a chicken farm collapsed by a landslide in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. / Yonhap |
According to the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), train services on all routes of the Chungbuk Line and Taebaek Line were suspended due to mudslides and flooding, while services on some routes of the Yeongdong Line and Jungang Line were suspended.
The Chungbuk Line serving North Chungcheong Province connects Sejong to Jecheon, while the Taebaek Line links Jecheon and the Gangwon provincial city of Donghae.
The Yeongdong Line connects Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province to Gangneung in Gangwon Province. KORAIL said train services on the Donghae-Yeongju route on the Yeongdong Line were suspended.
On the Jungang Line that runs from Seoul to the southeastern city of Gyeongju, services were suspended on the Wonju-Yeongju stretch. For ITX-Saemaeul trains on the Jungang Line, service was suspended for all routes.
The national railway operator said restoration work is underway, but it may take considerable time to restore the areas affected by the heavy rain.
"We advise travelers in the affected areas to use other forms of transportation as it may take much time to resume train services," a KORAIL official said. "Travelers should check for developments in the situation through our mobile application or customer center."
The KMA said Typhoon Hagupit could bring heavy rain and strong winds to Korea's interior until the end of this week. The fourth typhoon of the season was observed at waters 460 kilometers southeast of Taipei as of 9 a.m. and is moving northward at a speed of 11 kilometers per hour, according to the weather agency.
It said the typhoon is expected to pass through Hamhung in South Hamgyong Province in North Korea, Thursday, via China.
The typhoon's maximum wind speed near its center was 64 kilometers per hour, with a wind radius of 230 kilometers.
