South Korea rain fury: Rescuers recover 13 bodies from flooded tunnel

South Korean authorities have recovered the bodies of thirteen individualswho were trapped in a tunnel flooded by heavy rain. The death toll from the continuous torrential downpours that have battered the country stands at 40 on Monday.

South Korea tunnel flooding: What happened?

Seo Jeong-il, the head of the West Cheongju fire station, said that around 15 vehicles, including a bus, were submerged in the underpass in the citydue to the heavy rainfall on Saturday.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Video footage from a dashcam showed muddy water gushing into the tunnel as one driver managed to escape.A second CCTV footage aired on local broadcaster MBC depicted vehicles passing through the tunnel with their wheels submerged.

"Our objective is to complete the drainage and search operations today," Seo informed reporters.

A Cheongju resident named Kong Seong-pyo, aged 60, who frequently uses the underpass, expressed frustration to Reuters, stating that the government should have restricted access to the tunnel when flooding was anticipated.

"I would have also died if I had been submerged. I have no words to express this frustrating feeling," Kong was quoted as saying byReuters.

Evacuation orders have been issued by the Ministry of Interior and Safety for 8,852 individuals.

The ministry's data does not include those trapped in the flooded tunnel, as it is currently unclear how many people are still submerged.

The latest disaster in South Korea continues to wreak havocdespite the South Korean government's claims of preparedness against torrential rains after last year's devastating floods in Seoul.

Basements in the South Korean capital'slow-lying neighbourhoods, including the predominantly affluent Gangnam district, were inundated.

South Korean president remains abroad

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently abroad, called for a video-linked emergency meeting and expressed disappointment that some regions failed to take pre-emptive measures against the severe weather.

Yoon instructed Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to utilise all available resources to minimise casualties and urged the weather agency to promptly issue forecasts, as more heavy rain is anticipated in the coming days, according to his office.

The Korea Meteorological Administration warned that the central and southern regions of the country could receive up to an additional 300 millimetres (12 inches) of rain by Tuesday.

Due to concerns about landslides, track flooding, and falling rocks, Korea Railroad Corp has suspended all slow trains and some bullet trains since Saturday for safety reasons.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.