South Korea floods kill two dozen, more than 1,000 evacuated

At least 24 people have died and 10 more are missing after heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in South Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday, citing local disaster relief officials.

"According to rescue authorities, an initial count indicated 24 people have died due to heavy rain so far," Yonhap reported, adding that another 10 people were missing, mostly buried by landslides or after falling into a flooded reservoir.

As of 11 am (0200 GMT) on Saturday, 1,567 people had been evacuated nationwide, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and the number could rise as water overtopped the dam in North Chungcheong province.

Local governments' evacuation orders covered more than 7,000 people at various times, according to provincial authorities.

As of 9 am, more than 2,700 tonnes of water per second was flowing into Goesan Dam, the maximum it can discharge.

Korea Railroad Corp said it was halting all slow trains and some bullet trains, while other bullet trains might be delayed due to slower operation, as landslides, track flooding and falling rocks threatened safety.

A slow train derailed late on Friday when a landslide threw earth and sand over tracks in North Chungcheong province, the transport ministry said. The engineer was injured , but no passengers were on board.

In a meeting with government agencies on Saturday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for the military to actively join in rescue activities, working with government officials to mobilise equipment and manpower.