(2nd LD) Heavy rain soaks Seoul, central regions; 1 dead in wall collapse
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- Heavy rains poured on Seoul and central South Korea on Wednesday, causing a retaining wall collapse that killed a driver, along with road flooding and other damage, authorities said.
As of 9 p.m., cumulative rainfall had reached 149.5 millimeters in the southwestern city of Gunsan; 131.0 mm in Boryeong and 78.5 millimeters in Incheon's Ongjin County, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
Seoul's Jongno district recorded the highest cumulative rainfall among Seoul districts at over 63.3 mm.
The state weather agency forecast heavy rainfall across the country until Thursday, with downpours of more than 200 millimeters per hour expected in southern Gyeonggi Province.
The interior ministry activated the Level 1 operation of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the greater Seoul area and Chungcheong Province as of 3 p.m.
Amid heavy rain, a 10-meter-high retaining wall of the overpass at Gajang intersection in the city of Osan, 52 kilometers south of Seoul, collapsed onto a road at around 7:04 p.m., burying one vehicle under the debris.
After hours of rescue operations, officials found the driver, a man in his 40s, in a state of cardiac arrest under the debris, according to the Gyeonggi fire authorities.
At around 8:06 p.m., a bus' rear wheel got stuck in a pothole about 50 centimeters deep in the city of Guri, just east of Seoul, but no injuries were reported.
As of 9 p.m., 27 emergency calls related to heavy rain were reported in South Chungcheong Province, including six cases of road flooding, three cases of residential flooding and 18 other cases, such as fallen trees, according to local authorities.
In Incheon, 15 rain-related damage reports had been filed via the 119 emergency hotline in the city as of 9 p.m., such as road flooding. No casualties have been reported.
Vice Interior Minister Kim Min-jae called on authorities to take thorough measures to minimize damage and respond preemptively to prevent any casualties.
Kim also urged the public to stay updated on the weather and avoid dangerous areas such as those at risk of landslides and underground facilities.
As a precautionary measure, authorities have closed 29 urban streams, four riverside parking lots in Seoul, as well as other public parks and streams across affected regions nationwide, officials said.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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