Land mines Stall Rescuers in South Korea Landslides

Land mines Stall Rescuers in South Korea Landslidese

Seoul, South Korea — Heavy rains across Seoul and surrounding communities have caused flashfloods and mudslides. 47 people were feared dead and 4 people were still missing. The amount of rainfall was one of the heaviest in years. 440 millimeters of rain was poured over Seoul that started Tuesday. The rain has stopped Thursday but more is expected by Friday as forecasted by weather bureau agencies.

A landslide hit a community near the mountains in Seoul and many were buried alive. Concerns were growing after reports of land mines buried in the 1960s were displaced after the landslide occurred. Rescuers, thousands of them, are on the site but are worried about the land mines, putting their lives in danger. An unnamed official said that possibly 10 land mines might have been shifted down the mountain after the heavy rains and mudslide.

In Southern portion of Seoul, 16 people died after hit by a landslide Wednesday. Residents near the mountains were busy cleaning their houses with mud accumulated after the raging flood waters passed by the area.

People expressed their concern about the dangers of the search and rescue operations. More land mines planted decades ago are expected to be displaced down the mountains with more rains expected to pour in the coming days.

In Chuncheon, located north of the capital Seoul, a landslide hit a cabin in a resort where 10 college students died instantly. 18 people also died due to massive flooding and landslides at the suburbs of Seoul. Currently, there were zero casualties for foreigners.

Posted by James Fried on Friday July 29 2011, 6:11 AM EST. Ref: Yahoo. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0