One fatality as torrential rains pummel Korea on Children's Day
![Fire authorities clear drains after receive a report of a drain clog due to the heavy rain in Suncheon, South Jeolla, on Sunday. [South Jeolla Fire Services Headquarters]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/05/06/13faeaf5-3397-40ec-8276-b9787ffdced2.jpg)
Fire authorities clear drains after receive a report of a drain clog due to the heavy rain in Suncheon, South Jeolla, on Sunday. [South Jeolla Fire Services Headquarters]
In South Gyeongsang, a man in his 70s was found dead on Monday morning after authorities received a report that a person was swept away in a farm waterway in Goseong at 5:33 p.m. the day before, according to Goseong Police Precinct and the South Gyeonsang Fire Department.
Police and fire officials started searching for the man at 8:10 p.m. Sunday but had to pause as it got dark.
Police suspect the man slipped while walking along a paddy path and are investigating the exact cause of the accident.
An average of 108.3 millimeters (4.2 inches) poured down in South Gyeonsang from Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday, according to the region’s disaster and safety countermeasure headquarters.
Goseong, where the man was found dead, experienced 113 millimeters of rainfall during the same period.
In Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang, 55 people from 48 households evacuated after 70 millimeters of rainfall.
The heavy downpour also hit South Jeolla and Gwangju, flooding roads and stranding a family in their car.
A family of four was reported to have become trapped in their car while passing under a bridge in Gwangyang, South Jeolla, at 1:58 p.m. Sunday, according to the South Jeolla Fire Services Headquarters.
At the time, a heavy rain advisory was issued in the city, with over 100 millimeters of rain pouring down.
Fire authorities immediately sent rescuers and safely rescued the family.
Due to the heavy rain, 90 residents living in landslide-prone areas in South Jeolla were evacuated in advance.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that nationwide rainfall resulted from the convergence of a large amount of water vapor carried by strong southerly winds and a low-pressure system entering the Peninsula.
The rain stopped overnight in Gwangju and in most regions of South Jeolla.
On Monday, the last day of the three-day weekend, the weather is expected to be generally cloudy, and some areas will see weak rain showers from the afternoon until night.
The rain will start to fall again on Tuesday and will continue through Wednesday morning, according to KMA.
BY KIM JI-YE, CHO MUN-GYU [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)