Torrential rain leaves at least 18 dead in South Korea, trail of devastation

By Daewoung Kim and Sebin Choi

GAPYEONG, South Korea (Reuters) -Severe bedewed upwind successful South Korea eased connected Monday pursuing days of torrential rainfall that triggered floods and landslides and near astatine slightest 18 radical dead, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said connected Monday.

Nine radical remained missing arsenic of Sunday evening, the ministry said, with residents of the worst-hit areas successful shock.

At Gapyeong, immoderate 62 kilometres (38.5 miles) northeast of the superior Seoul, immoderate residents recalled constrictive escapes from the floods aft 173 millimetres (6.8 inches) of rainfall deluged the country implicit conscionable 17 hours connected Sunday.

Gapyeong was among a fig of places that saw a grounds magnitude of rainfall successful a azygous time and broke the erstwhile precocious for nationalist regular precipitation of 156.3 mm that was acceptable connected September 30, 1998.

"The crushed conscionable sank beneath me, and the h2o roseate each the mode up to my neck. Luckily, determination was an robust tube nearby. I held connected to it with each my strength," said Ahn Gyeong-bun, the proprietor of a edifice that was astir wholly destroyed.

Two radical died and 4 were missing aft a landslide engulfed homes astir Gapyeong and floods swept distant vehicles arsenic of Sunday, the ministry said.

For those remaining similar Ahn, an uncertain aboriginal awaits.

"I've tally this edifice for 10 years ... What americium I expected to bash now?" said Ahn, arsenic she stood adjacent to the severely damaged operation of her gathering perched adjacent to a inactive swollen river.

At times breaking down successful tears, the 65-year-old said respective of the restaurant's refrigerators were washed distant by the flood.

Across South Korea, rainfall harm had been reported to 1,999 nationalist structures and 2,238 backstage facilities, including farms, the interior ministry said.

While the rainfall has eased, the nationalist upwind bureau has present issued a nationwide heatwave watch.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough effect to the disaster, his bureau said.

"As section dense rains person go commonplace, customised measures based connected determination characteristics are urgently needed," said Kang Yu-jung, the spokesperson for Lee's office.

"If superior laxity oregon mistakes are recovered successful civilian servants' discipline, we volition clasp them accountable and thorough measures volition beryllium taken to forestall a recurrence."

Lee, who took bureau successful June, has promised to marque the state safer and to forestall immoderate repetition of the disasters successful caller years that person often been blamed connected the inadequate effect by authorities.

(Reporting by Daewoung Kim and Sebin Choi; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park; Writing by Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies and Kate Mayberry)