By Kim Rahn
Rain pounded central parts of the Korean Peninsula Wednesday, causing casualties from landslides, and flooding roads and houses in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Heavy rain alerts were issued in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi, western South Chungcheong and western Gangwon provinces, with warnings in eastern Gangwon Province.
Seoul received more than 200 millimeters of rainfall.
“The rain is a typical torrential downpour with a huge amount of rain during a short time. The precipitation varies from region to region, and some districts had 50 millimeters of rainfall per hour with thunder and lightning,” a Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) official said.
The rain caused a landslide at a construction site in Dobong, northeastern Seoul, at around 1 p.m.
Three vehicles passing the site were buried under the landslide, killing one person and injuring three others.
The landslide also buried a railroad section between Wolgye and Changdong Station of subway line No. 1, halting subway operations between central and northeastern Seoul and Gyeonggi Province beyond.
At a stream in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, a 36-year-old man was swept away by swift currents at around 6:05 a.m.
Several roads were flooded and blocked, including Jamsu Bridge in Seoul, causing extreme traffic congestion.
Passengers were also banned from walking along the Cheonggye Stream.
More than 100 houses have been flooded in Seoul alone along with dozens in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.
The weather agency forecasts the rain front will expand to southern parts of the country Thursday. Some regions in central areas will receive up to 300 millimeters of rainfall by Thursday.