Nationwide search and rescue efforts continue after deadly torrential summer rain in S. Korea

On the local front.

As floodwaters recede, the true toll of last week's extreme weather is coming into focus.

While recovery efforts are underway, the search continues for those still missing in the hardest-hit areas.

Our Moon Hye-ryeon has the details.

At least 21 people have died due to the heavy rain that swept across South Korea last week, with fears mounting that the death toll could rise as search and rescue efforts continue.

As of Wednesday morning, the number of those missing stands at 7, after two bodies were found on Tuesday afternoon in Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, where 12 people lost their lives.

Authorities are continuing to search for two more missing people in the area, with a fire department official reporting that while search conditions are improving as water levels recede, efforts are heavily dependent on manual checks as equipment is unable to access certain areas.

In Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do Province, search teams involving more than 700 personnel are continuing to look for four missing people.

Among them are two members of a family who went missing after visiting a campsite, one person swept away in a vehicle, and another believed to have been caught in strong currents along a riverbank.

Search and rescue efforts here are also being prolonged due to rapid water currents.

Meanwhile, residents in the area are grappling with the aftermath of the torrential rains and landslides that devastated homes, businesses, and farmlands.

"The cowshed was completely flooded. We got a warning from the village center telling us to evacuate, but with the cows here, we couldn't leave. It was heartbreaking."

Many returned to find their properties unrecognizable — buildings reduced to rubble, interiors buried under layers of mud, and entire crops destroyed.

"The damage is just overwhelming. The water's been cut off, so there's nothing we can do. There's no electricity, no running water"

As the nation continues to reel from the destruction, rescue crews remain in a race against time, working around the clock to locate the missing and support recovery efforts.

Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.