| A car is stranded in a flooded street in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday. Yonhap |
By Kim Rahn
At least nine people were killed and many more injured by Typhoon Mitag that wreaked havoc on the eastern parts of the country Wednesday and early Thursday, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
Hundreds of homes, businesses and facilities have been inundated or destroyed, while more than 1,500 people were evacuated due to flooding.
According to the headquarters, nine people had been killed as of 4:30 p.m. ― some were found dead after being swept away by flashfloods as they tried to fix farm irrigation channels, while others were inside homes that collapsed due to landslides.
| A train is derailed in Bongwha, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Authorities said the accident happened because torrential rain caused a landslide. Yonhap |
| Makeshift tents are flipped over by strong winds in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday. Yonhap |
In Busan, landslides hit a house and a restaurant, burying four people, with one being found dead amid ongoing rescue operations. In Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, a car was swept away by waters from a swollen stream. The vehicle was found later but not the driver.
Dozens of people were also injured due to building collapses.
The number of casualties is likely to grow as more people are being reported missing.
| A flooded coastal town in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday. Yonhap |
| A flooded house in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Yonhap |
More than 1,500 people evacuated their homes in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, and Samcheok, Gangwon Province, which had 550 millimeters and over 400 millimeters of rain, respectively, between Tuesday and Thursday. Uljin received 104.5 millimeters of rain per hour early Thursday morning, the largest hourly amount since weather observations in the region started in 1971.
In Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, a train was derailed due to landslides, but no casualties were reported.
Flight operations resumed Thursday morning, but ferry operations were still suspended until late afternoon the same day.
The typhoon left the country and headed into the East Sea at around 6 a.m.