Thousands flee heavy rain in South Korea, 10 killed

SEOUL - Torrential rain in South Korea has killed 10 people and 17 others are missing and presumed dead, the national emergency agency said on Sunday.

The central and eastern regions of the country including capital Seoul are under a heavy rain warning, and nearly 2000 people have fled their homes and are in emergency shelters, the National Emergency Management Agency said in a report.

Emergency officials have redirected thousands of motorists who were stranded in mountainous highways connecting the eastern and central regions where sections of the road had been washed away or made impassable, the agency said.

"The situation in the eastern region is pretty bad," an agency official said.

The number of casualties is expected to rise as some people who are isolated in mountainous eastern areas are not yet accounted for, the agency said.

The national meteorological agency is forecasting more heavy rain through Sunday and into Monday, with some regions receiving more than 25cm of rain before midnight on Sunday.

- REUTERS