flooding leaves 26 dead in South Korea

The South Korean interior ministry reported that 26 people had been killed and another 10 were missing in the heavy downpours, mostly buried by landslides or after falling into a flooded reservoir. Rescue workers were still struggling to reach some 15 cars trapped in a 430-metre underground tunnel in Cheongju.

On Sunday, five bodies not yet included in the official death toll were recovered from a bus submerged in the tunnel. The Korea Meteorological Administration has warned the weather conditions pose a "grave" danger on Wednesday.

South Korea is regularly hit by flooding during the summer monsoon period, but the country is typically well-prepared and the death toll is usually relatively low. The country endured record-breaking rains and flooding last year, which left more than 11 people dead.