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South Korea hit by longest monsoon in 7 years, at least 26 dead or missing

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More flooding and landslides have been reported in South Korea as the country suffers from its longest monsoon in seven years. At least 13 people have died and more than 1 500 have been forced to flee, while two areas were declared disaster zones after 42 consecutive days of rainfall.

On Wednesday, August 5, 2020, prime minister Chung Sye Kyun urged officials to declare the provinces of Gyeonggi and Chungcheong as special disaster zones.

The action would enable the officials to receive more aid from the national government as rescue efforts are being hampered by coronavirus restrictions at the same time.

The interior ministry assured that measures are being taken to keep evacuees distanced from each other, mainly in gyms and community shelters.

Persistent heavy rainfall has submerged swaths of fields underwater, ravaging more than 5 000 ha (12 300 acres) of farmland.

YouTube video

YouTube video

In the capital Seoul, the swollen Han River inundated motorways and bridges. Around 1 300 houses have been flooded or buried in landslides, while almost 1 000 roads were damaged.

A total of 13 fatalities and 13 missing people were reported, with more than 1 500 people displaced.

It has been raining for 42 consecutive days, making this year's season the country's longest monsoon in seven years. This is also the fourth major flood event in South Korea since mid-July.

Featured image credit: ARIRANG NEWS/YouTube

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