Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jan 11, 2026

Record rainfall kills at least 9 in Seoul as water floods buildings, submerges cars

Record downpours flooded homes, roads and subway stations in the South Korean capital Seoul this week, killing at least nine people, as forecasters warned of more rain to come. The torrential rain eased on Wednesday, though already-flooded areas could see an additional 300 millimeters of rain through Thursday, which may lead to further flooding and mudslides, forecasters warned.

Three of those who died had been trapped in a flooded semi-basement, according to South Korea's Interior and Safety Ministry. Some 17 others were injured and at least seven people remain missing, the ministry said.



On Tuesday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed two Chinese citizens had been killed. One died in a landslide at a dormitory in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, while the other was electrocuted during outdoor construction work during the storm.

More than 500 people have been evacuated since heavy rain lashed Seoul Monday night, with the ministry providing tents, blankets and other aid items. Meanwhile, authorities are launching cleanup and rescue services, with the fire department having rescued 145 people as of Wednesday.


About 2,800 structures -- including houses, shops, retaining walls and other pieces of infrastructure -- were damaged, though most had been repaired as of Wednesday morning, according to the safety ministry.

As of Tuesday night, parts of Seoul saw up to 497 millimeters (19.6 inches) of rain. At one point, the city recorded 141.5 millimeters (5.6 inches) of rain per hour -- the highest rate since authorities began keeping records in 1907.



In some parts of Seoul, drains backed up and sent water pouring back into streets and subway stations, according to the Seoul Metro. A number of stations were closed due to flooding, with lines temporarily suspended Monday night.
Images of the aftermath show debris and wreckage scattered across streets, shopkeepers trying to salvage their goods, crumbling parts of pavement and damaged vehicles that had been swept up by floodwater.

Several regions south of the Han River were worst affected, including the wealthy, modern Gangnam district, where some buildings and stores were flooded and lost power.



South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sent his condolences to the victims on Tuesday, saying he would conduct an on-site inspection and work to prevent additional damage.

He also pointed out the need to review the country's disaster management system, since extreme weather is expected to become increasingly common due to the climate crisis.

Many countries in East Asia are now experiencing more intense daily rainfall, with summer monsoons expected to grow stronger and more unpredictable as the Earth warms, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

More rounds of heavy rain will continue through Thursday morning before ending Thursday afternoon.


Seoul typically averages 348 millimeters (13.7 inches) of rain in August -- the wettest month of the year there. Several locations recorded this much rainfall in just one day.

Parts of Japan also saw downpours on Monday night, with some regions of Hokkaido reporting flooding - but no injuries as of Tuesday. Authorities have warned of the risk of flash floods and landslides.




Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Free School Meals Expansion Faces Political and Budgetary Delays
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks With Britain
Germany Hit by Major Airport Strikes Disrupting European Travel
Prince Harry Seeks King Charles’ Support to Open Invictus Games on UK Return
Washington Holds Back as Britain and France Signal Willingness to Deploy Troops in Postwar Ukraine
Elon Musk Accuses UK Government of Suppressing Free Speech as X Faces Potential Ban Over AI-Generated Content
Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile in Strike on Ukraine
OpenAI and SoftBank Commit One Billion Dollars to Energy and Data Centre Supplier
UK Prime Minister Starmer Reaffirms Support for Danish Sovereignty Over Greenland Amid U.S. Pressure
UK Support Bolsters U.S. Seizure of Russian-Flagged Tanker Marinera in Atlantic Strike on Sanctions Evasion
The Claim That Maduro’s Capture and Trial Violate International Law Is Either Legally Illiterate—or Deliberately Deceptive
UK Data Watchdog Probes Elon Musk’s X Over AI-Generated Grok Images Amid Surge in Non-Consensual Outputs
Prince Harry to Return to UK for Court Hearing Without Plans to Meet King Charles III
UK Confirms Support for US Seizure of Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in North Atlantic
Béla Tarr, Visionary Hungarian Filmmaker, Dies at Seventy After Long Illness
UK and France Pledge Military Hubs Across Ukraine in Post-Ceasefire Security Plan
Prince Harry Poised to Regain UK Security Cover, Clearing Way for Family Visits
UK Junk Food Advertising Ban Faces Major Loophole Allowing Brand-Only Promotions
Maduro’s Arrest Without The Hague Tests International Law—and Trump’s Willingness to Break It
German Intelligence Secretly Intercepted Obama’s Air Force One Communications
The U.S. State Department’s account in Persian: “President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know it until now, now you do—do not play games with President Trump.”
Fake Mainstream Media Double Standard: Elon Musk Versus Mamdani
HSBC Leads 2026 Mortgage Rate Cuts as UK Lending Costs Ease
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Outlines How Operation Absolute Resolve Was Carried Out in Venezuela
Starmer Welcomes End of Maduro Era While Stressing International Law and UK Non-Involvement
Korean Beauty Turns Viral Skincare Into a Global Export Engine
UK Confirms Non-Involvement in U.S. Military Action Against Venezuela
UK Terror Watchdog Calls for Australian-Style Social Media Ban to Protect Teenagers
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Europe’s Luxury Sanctions Punish Russian Consumers While a Sanctions-Circumvention Industry Thrives
Berkshire’s Buffett-to-Abel Transition Tests Whether a One-Man Trust Model Can Survive as a System
Fraud in European Central Bank: Lagarde’s Hidden Pay Premium Exposes a Transparency Crisis at the European Central Bank
Trump Announces U.S. Large-Scale Strike on Venezuela, Declares President Maduro and Wife Captured
Tesla Loses EV Crown to China’s BYD After Annual Deliveries Decline in 2025
UK Manufacturing Growth Reaches 15-Month Peak as Output and Orders Improve in December
Beijing Threatened to Scrap UK–China Trade Talks After British Minister’s Taiwan Visit
Newly Released Files Reveal Tony Blair Pressured Officials Over Iraq Death Case Involving UK Soldiers
Top Stocks and Themes to Watch in 2026 as Markets Enter New Year with Fresh Momentum
No UK Curfew Ordered as Deepfake TikTok Falsely Attributes Decree to Prime Minister Starmer
Europe’s Largest Defence Groups Set to Return Nearly Five Billion Dollars to Shareholders in Twenty Twenty-Five
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Apple Escalates Legal Fight by Appealing £1.5 Billion UK Ruling Over App Store Fees
UK Debt Levels Sit Mid-Range Among Advanced Economies Despite Rising Pressures
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
×