At least three people were killed and more than 1,000 evacuated Thursday after South Korea was hit by torrential rains, an official said, with one region pummeled by the most rainfall per hour since full records began.
"As of 4pm local time at least three people have died today due to torrential rains," a Ministry of Interior and Safety official told AFP, adding that more than 1,000 people had been evacuated.
Landslide alerts were raised to the highest level for several regions including Chungcheong as the heavy rains continued, according to the Korea Forest Service.
In the city of Gwangju, some 267 kilometers (166 miles) south of Seoul, 87 roads and 38 buildings were submerged within about two hours after torrential rain warnings were issued, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
Some 403 schools were closed and 166 reported property damage from the heavy rain, the Ministry of Education said.
