South Korea Floods: Death toll hits 40, President Yoon urges climate crisis action

The death toll from recent landslides and flash floods in South Korea triggered by days of torrential downpours reached 40 on Monday. The devastation prompted President Yoon Suk-yeol to warn climate-driven extreme weather events had become a fact of life.

He called for “extraordinary determination” to get the country more prepared for such situations. Meanwhile, rescuers in the central city of Cheongju have recovered 13 bodies from a flooded 685-metre-long underground tunnel.

Furious Citizens Demand Answers From Authorities

A number of vehicles were swamped by a flash flood when a river bank broke on Saturday. Hundreds of rescuers continued to search the tunnel, which potentially filled with water in as little as two or three minutes.

Families of the victims criticised local authorities for not preemptively closing the low-lying tunnel amid heavy rain and rising water levels in the nearby Miho River, even after a flood warning was issued for the water body just hours before the incident, the Korea Times reported.

In response, the local authorities said their emergency response manual did not necessitate the tunnel’s immediate closure under those conditions. Police said they would launch a probe into the fatal accident, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Hear From Korea Meteorological Administration

Heavy rain has brought tremendous devastation across central and southern regions of South Korea, compelling thousands to evacuate. As the annual rainy season reached its peak, the downpours have damaged dozens of houses and swept away even more roads.

Cheongju, where the tunnel is located, has received more than 54 cm of rain since July 9. Central and southern parts of the country could receive as much as 30 cm of additional rainfall through Tuesday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.