Baby killed in landslide in Yeongju

Social Affairs

Published: 30 Jun. 2023, 11:40 Updated: 30 Jun. 2023, 11:40

Baby killed in landslide in Yeongju

Firefighters are on a rescue operation at Yeongju, North Gyeongsang, early Friday morning. [GYEONGBUK FIRE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS]

A 14-month-old baby was killed in a landslide caused by heavy rain overnight in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang.

The baby was among the 10 people who were living in a house that was buried by a 10-ton landslide at 4:43 a.m. Friday, according to the Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters and Yeongju city authorities.

The fire department deployed more than 40 vehicles and 110 firefighters to the scene and rescued nine people. The 14-month-old baby was found at around 6:40 a.m. under cardiac arrest and died shortly after being transferred to a hospital nearby.

The landslide hit Yeongju and its vicinity overnight and had 43 residents from 15 households evacuate the area.

Rainfall of 161.4 millimeters (6.35 inches) poured into the city from Thursday night to 8 a.m. Friday. Fifty reports of damages from the rain came in between these hours.

A bridge at a town in the western part of Yeongju collapsed due to rising water levels. Flood warnings are issued in the southern parts of the city.

Thunderstorms entailing gusts are forecast over the southern regions of Korea into Friday afternoon, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Some parts of North Gyeongsang will see more than 80 millimeters of rain Friday, the weather agency said.