The death toll in central South Korea from floods and landslides triggered by "the heaviest downpours in a century" has risen to 50 with more than 20 people injured, world media reported.
Earlier reports said a landslide near the city of Chuncheon some 85 kilometers east of Seoul destroyed four residential buildings and a care home, leaving 13 people dead, while a powerful mudslide from the slope of Mount Umyeon near the southern outskirts of the capital buried dozens of village houses, killing at least 17.
The exact number of casualties is still unclear, but seven people are reported to have drowned in the swollen Han River and three more died when a factory roof collapsed.
Multiple landslides across the country also resulted in "urban traffic chaos, power outages and flooded streets, roads and residential areas," Yonhap the news agency said on Thursday, citing the national emergency situations department.
The death toll is likely to rise with dozens listed as missing.
