A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in southern South Korea killed one person and injured three others on Monday. The landslide occurred in Geoje, a coastal city in South Gyeongsang province, where it struck a residential apartment building.
The landslide buried the first floor of the building, according to the Yonhap News Agency. Rescue workers extracted three residents from the structure; however, one of the individuals was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The names and ages of the victims were not immediately reported.
The South Korean weather agency reported that some areas in the southern region have received up to 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) of rain since Saturday. The rainfall has been accompanied by thunder and lightning. In Geoje, located near Busan, the weather caused rivers to overflow and flooded local roads, leading to traffic disruptions and leaving some residents stranded.
The scale of the rainfall—800 millimeters over a three-day period—represents a significant volume of water for the southern coastal region. For individual households, this weather event has resulted in immediate physical danger, property damage to residential buildings, and the loss of primary transportation routes as roads became submerged. Residents in the affected areas will notice a total disruption of daily routines, including the inability to commute and the need for emergency shelter for those displaced by the evacuation orders.
The overflow of rivers and the inundation of roads also impact the local logistics and transportation infrastructure near Busan, a major regional hub. While the immediate focus remains on rescue and evacuation, the saturation of the ground may pose a continuing threat of soil instability even after the rain subsides. As of Monday, authorities continue to monitor the weather warnings and coordinate the safety of those remaining in high-risk zones. The effective date for a return to normal operations in the region has not been established.