Heavy Monsoon Rains Damage Facilities, Force Evacuations in South Korea

SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- Heavy monsoon rains pounded central and other parts of the nation Thursday, damaging more than 200 facilities and forcing over 600 people to leave their homes, authorities said.

As of 5 p.m., the downpours had damaged 256 facilities and prompted 662 people to temporarily evacuate across the nation, particularly in the central provinces of South and North Chungcheong, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

Heavy rains battered the two Chungcheong provinces, with the central city of Cheonan receiving 266.6 millimeters of rain from Wednesday through 5 p.m. Thursday, while nearby Daejeon recorded 239.5 mm of rain over the period.

Authorities reported damage to 225 public facilities and 31 private properties, including flooded homes and roads. Among the 662 people who evacuated, 621 have taken shelter at town halls and senior centers.

A man in his 70s was reported to have been swept away in a stream in Yeongju in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, prompting rescue authorities to carry out search operations.

Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung called for stronger safety measures during an interagency response meeting, noting that the heavy downpours are expected to continue Friday.

Northern parts of Gyeonggi Province and central and northern parts of Gangwon Province could see rainfall of more than 50 mm per hour early Friday morning, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Other parts of the greater Seoul area are forecast to receive 20 to 30 mm of rain per hour from late Thursday night to Friday morning.