Man killed by collapsing wall as extreme rain pounds South Korea

Just days after enduring an intense heat wave, South Korea is now dealing with extremely heavy rain.

Overnight, parts of the central region were hit with more than 300 millimeters of rain, with one man killed during the rain in Gyeonggi-do Province.

Park Hyo-been has the latest.

A man in his 40s was killed on Wednesday evening after a wall collapsed and crushed his vehicle amid heavy rain across South Korea.

The 10-meter retaining wall gave way in Osan City, Gyeonggi-do Province, burying two passing vehicles under tons of debris.

Passengers in one car managed to escape, but the driver of a second car was buried under 180 tons of concrete and soil.

"The vehicle was completely crushed under the structure. It was too heavy to lift, so we had to dismantle it piece by piece."

Authorities suspect heavy downpours in the area contributed to the collapse.

Rain began to intensify across central South Korea on Wednesday afternoon.

Chungcheongnam-do Province suffered some of the heaviest damage.

In Seosan City, over 110 millimeters of rain fell in just one hour at around 2 AM on Thursday.

Over 400 millimeters of rain drenched the city between Wednesday and early Thursday, the most in the country.

As rivers swelled in Chungcheongnam-do Province, the Galsancheon and Dangjincheon streams overflowed, raising flood concerns.

120 residents of Buyeo and Seocheon, areas at risk of flooding and landslides, were evacuated to nearby community centers and elementary schools.

The Chungcheongnam-do Province fire headquarters also received more than 300 calls regarding issues with drainage overnight.

Train services were affected as well.

Korea Railroad suspended general train operations on parts of the Gyeongbu, Janghang, and Seohae lines around 6 AM due to heavy rain.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts an additional 50 to 150 millimeters of rain in Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungcheongnam-do Province, with some areas expecting over 180 millimeters on Thursday.

Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and lightning is expected across most regions through this Saturday.

Officials are urging residents to take precautions against potential flooding.

Park Hyobeen, Arirang News.