SEOUL: South Korea authorities evacuated more than 14,000 people and closed schools in flood-hit areas as tropical storm Khanun swept over the peninsula on Thursday, having pounded southern Japan over the past week.

Downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm, Khanun made landfall on the southeast coast, and was heading towards the South Korean capital Seoul.

Khanun could also strike North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, early on Friday and state media there reported that the military and the ruling party had been ordered to prepare flood-mitigation measures and salvage crops.

Schools closed, over 14,000 people evacuated from flood-hit areas

In South Korea, some 350 flights and 450 train routes were cancelled, and more than 14,000 people were moved to safety, the interior ministry said.

One person was missing in the south-eastern city of Daegu after falling into the river in a wheelchair, the ministry said, adding it was looking into the death of another person in the same city.

The storm brought up to 60 mm (2.4 inches) of rain per hour in some east coast towns, and maximum wind speeds of 126 kilometres per hour in the port city of Busan, the weather agency said.

Khanun losing a little speed as it moved northwards at 23 kph toward the greater Seoul area.“I’m worried that people living in lowlands or making a living by farming and fishing would suffer,” said Kim Wi-jeong, a 33-year-old office worker living in the capital.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2023