South Korean landslides leave at least 17 dead

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Heavy rain sent landslides barrelling through the South Korean capital and a northern town Wednesday, killing 17 and leaving at least three missing, officials said.

Eight of the 12 killed in the early morning landslide in Chuncheon, about 110 kilometres northeast of Seoul, were college students who had been doing volunteer work, said Byun In-soo of the town’s fire station. They were staying in a resort cabin when the mud and debris engulfed them.

In Seoul, five people were killed in a landslide, said a police official in the Bangbae area. The dead have not yet been identified. One child was also missing.

South Korea has been pummeled with strong rain this week.

About nearly 400 millimetres of rain fell in Seoul in just 17 hours starting Tuesday afternoon. More than 250 millimetres fell on Chuncheon in the last two days.

Weather officials say another 250 millimetres could fall through Friday in northern South Korea, including Seoul, parts of which were flooded from the rains.