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Record rain, floods in Seoul kill seven

#Record #rain #floods #Seoul #kill

Subway stations and main roads were flooded in the South Korean capital Seoul after record-breaking rains caused severe flooding that left at least seven people dead and seven others missing, officials said on Tuesday.

Authorities warned there would be more rain even as rescue workers struggled to clear the behemoths of flooded cars AFP reporters saw scattered at key intersections across the city.

Dramatic images shared on social media late Monday showed people wading through waist-deep water, crowded subway stations and half-submerged cars in Seoul’s posh Gangnam district, which was particularly hard-hit as torrential Rains hit the city.

The downpour that began on Monday is the heaviest rain in South Korea in 80 years, according to the Yonhap News Agency in Seoul.

“At least seven people died in the Seoul metropolitan area, while seven others are missing due to heavy rains,” a Seoul Ministry of Interior official told AFP.

According to local reports, three people living in a banjiha – cramped basement apartments made famous in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite – died, including a teenager, when their home was inundated by floodwaters.

– climate change –

President Yoon Suk-yeol blamed climate change for the record rainfall and said the government must adapt.

“The government needs to review the current disaster management system from the beginning as weather anomalies caused by climate change become part of everyday life,” he said.

“We should do everything until the situation is over to protect valuable people’s lives and property, and take measures to the end until people feel enough.”

But Yoon, whose approval rating has fallen to just 24 percent since taking office in May according to the latest Gallup Korea poll, faced criticism online for failing to go to the government’s emergency control center late Monday.

Local media reported his absence was due to flooding in his area, but Yoon’s office denied it was a factor and said he decided to stay home as his team, including the prime minister, already had the answer in the have hand

Yoon is still living in his pre-election lodgings after refusing to move into the President’s Blue House, which he has described as “imperial” and opened to the public as a park.

“Why did you leave the Blue House” became a trending topic online when netizens shared videos allegedly showing flooding at his home alongside derisive comments.

– Gangnam Floods –

Gangnam, an affluent district in south Seoul that was featured in Psy’s 2012 K-pop hit “Gangnam Style,” received 326.5 millimeters of rainfall on Monday, data from the Korea Meteorological Administration showed.

“Gangnam is supposed to be the center of economy and well developed, but it’s ironic that it’s so prone to natural disasters,” 45-year-old office worker Moon Yong-chun told AFP as he tried to rescue his car out of town a flooded parking lot.

“I am shocked at the damage. The same thing happened about 11 years ago and it’s sad that the government didn’t take any action,” he added.

The Korea Meteorological Administration warned South Koreans to “watch out for heavy rain, squalls, and thunder and lightning in the central region” over the next few days.

The KMA also said the central region, which includes Seoul, was forecast for up to 300 more millimeters of rain through Thursday.

Traffic in South Korea remained severely disrupted on Tuesday as many roads and tunnels were closed for safety reasons, Yonhap reported.

Power outages were also reported across the capital late Monday, while some operations of Seoul’s subway and rail services were temporarily disrupted by the heavy rain.

Hiking trails in many of the country’s national parks have been closed and passenger ferry services, including from Incheon Port, have been suspended.

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#Record #rain #floods #Seoul #kill

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