South Korea's rainstorms cause 15 deaths, leave muddy mess

South Korea: Heavy rains in South Korea, which lasted for four straight days, have left 15 people dead and 11 others missing as of Tuesday. The rain have left a muddy mess in Anseong of Gyeonggi Province, one of the worst hit areas.

Flash floods and mud flows caused by rainstorms damaged many roads and buried vast tracts of farmland in the southern mountainous area of Anseong. "The rain is heavier than expected. Although I am not very old, this is my first time to see such a heavy rain in 70 years," said a local resident. "The soil loosened because of the rain. A worker at the chicken farm over there died from a landslide accident. It is unfortunate," said another resident. Some main roads cut off by mud flows have reopened after the debris were cleared away. 

This round of rainstorms had forced 1,025 people in the country to be evacuated as of Tuesday and most of them are from Chungcheongbuk-do Province and Gyeonggi. Local authorities have set up temporary shelters at stadiums, schools and some other places to accommodate the affected people.

According to the meteorological department, heavy rains will continue to batter central South Korea on Wednesday under the impact of Typhoon Hagupit. Some people in the high-risk areas have been evacuated.