The president of South Korea orders the mobilization of all available resources due to heavy rains

The authorities put the dead at 40 and a dozen missing

July 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, has ordered this Monday the mobilization of all available resources to face the rain forces, which have resulted in the death of at least 40 people while a dozen remain missing.

Yoon has indicated that this mobilization includes the designation of special disaster zones, as he explained in statements while chairing a meeting at the Central Security and Disaster Headquarters, reports the Yonhap agency.

Authorities have indicated that the death toll may rise as rescue services continue operations to drain an underground tunnel in which around ten vehicles are believed to be submerged. The pass, in the city of Osong, was flooded during the day on Saturday after a river in the area overflowed after levees were overwhelmed by floodwaters caused by torrential rains.

For his part, the South Korean Prime Minister, Han Duck Soo, promised hours before that “operations to search for and rescue the disappeared will be accelerated, before demanding that the authorities make all possible efforts to guarantee the safety of the population.” .

The province of North Gyeongsang (center) is the most affected by the situation, with more than 2,300 evacuated due to the rains, which have also caused the closure of about 220 roads and the suspension of all rail transport.

Nationwide, more than 10,500 people have been evacuated from their homes by the rain, more than 300 private properties and 600 public facilities have been damaged. Nearly 30,000 homes have been left without electricity during these days, although the majority have recovered it this Monday.