Nearly 5,500 still displaced after deadly torrential downpours

Nearly 5,500 people have yet to return home after torrential rains pounded the country last week, officials said, despite the monsoon rain coming to a lull Wednesday.

Across the country, 5,494 were still staying at relatives’ houses or shelters set up at senior centers, village halls or schools as of 6 p.m., according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

The torrential rain that swept the country last week left 46 people dead and six others missing nationwide. The toll does not include one marine still missing.

In particular, the flooding of the Osong underground roadway in the central city of Cheongju on Saturday led to 14 deaths, when a nearby river overflowed after an embankment was brought down by rising water levels due to heavy rain.

Downpours have also damaged 1,101 public facilities and 1,047 other private properties, with the damage centered around South Chungcheong Province. Homes were also destroyed, with 471 reported to have been inundated and 125 others damaged, according to officials.

Farmland over half the size of Seoul, amounting to 32,894.5 hectares, was flooded, and 797,000 livestock, including chickens and ducks, died from the downpour.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday designated 13 areas hard-hit from the downpours as special disaster zones, paving the way for them to be eligible for financial support in recovery work, relief funds for victims and other benefits.