South Korean rescuers Sunday pulled 13 bodies from a flooded tunnel where around 15 vehicles were trapped in muddy water, as days of heavy rain triggered flash floods and landslides and destroyed homes across the country, officials said.

A total of 40 people have died and thousands have been evacuated since July 9, when heavy rain started pounding South Korea's central regions.

Nearly 900 rescuers, including divers, were searching the tunnel in the central city of Cheongju, where the vehicles, including a bus, were swamped by a flash flood Saturday evening, Seo Jeong-il, chief of the city's fire department, said in a briefing.

Fire officials estimated that the tunnel filled with water in as little as two or three minutes.

Photos and video from the scene showed rescue workers establishing a perimeter and pumping brown water out of the tunnel as divers used rubber boats to move in and out of the area.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is back from a European tour, chaired an emergency meeting Monday and instructed officials to designate special disaster zones and spare no effort in supporting regional relief and rebuilding efforts.

Yoon called for officials to mobilize all available resources to respond to the disaster. #southkorea #rain #news #voanews

[ Ссылка ]

» Subscribe to VOA News: [ Ссылка ]
» Watch more VOA News video: [ Ссылка ]

Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 236.8 million people. VOA produces content for digital, television, and radio platforms. It is easily accessed via your mobile phone and on social media. It is also distributed by satellite, cable, FM and MW, and is carried on a network of approximately 3,000 affiliate stations.

Since its creation in 1942, Voice of America has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth. Through World War II, the Cold War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, VOA exemplifies the principles of a free press.

Connect with VOA News:

» VISIT OUR WEBSITE: [ Ссылка ]
» LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: [ Ссылка ]
» FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: [ Ссылка ]
» FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть