A deadly landslide caused by days of intense rainfall has claimed one life, with three others reported missing in South Korea’s Sancheong County, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
According to the National Fire Agency, the landslide buried two homes in a rural village in the southern part of the country. Officials say search and rescue operations are ongoing as efforts intensify to locate the missing individuals—a man in his twenties and an elderly couple in their seventies.
“We have recovered one body so far, and three others are still unaccounted for,” an official from the Sancheong County fire station told AFP.
In response to the escalating danger, the county, which has a population of approximately 34,000, issued an emergency evacuation order urging residents to move to safer ground immediately.
The torrential rains come as South Korea grapples with its seasonal monsoon period, typically occurring in July. However, weather authorities noted that the southern regions are experiencing some of the heaviest rainfall on record this week.
The Ministry of Interior and Safety also reported that at least four people have died in various rain-related incidents nationwide, with over 7,000 residents forced to evacuate from flood-prone areas.
While South Korea is generally well-equipped to handle annual monsoon flooding, the frequency and intensity of recent weather disasters are raising concern.
Experts attribute these extreme weather patterns to the growing impacts of climate change. The country previously experienced deadly flooding in 2022 that left at least 11 people dead.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, as rainfall is expected to persist in the coming days.
