10 killed, 4 others missing as Typhoon Mitag hits South Korea

Rescue work is under way to find four people presumed to be buried after a landslide occurred in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 3, 2019 (Yonhap)

Seoul: Ten people were killed and four others went missing as Typhoon Mitag lashed the southern and eastern regions of South Korea with heavy rain and strong winds, authorities said Thursday.

A 65-year-old female owner of a small restaurant was found dead at around 4 p.m., about seven hours after being buried in a landslide in the southeastern port city of Busan.

Fire officials in Busan said a son of an old couple was also found dead after he was buried in the landslide along with his parents at their home.

President Moon Jae-in wrote in a Facebook message that his heart aches over the deaths and asked people to offer consolation and support to those affected by the typhoon. Moon said the government is mobilizing all its resources to recover from the damage.

The season’s 18th typhoon hit hard on the country’s eastern and southern areas, bringing heavy rains and strong winds.

Earlier in the day, a woman in her 70s died after being swept away by strong currents in the southeastern city of Pohang.

In Samcheok, Gangwon Province, heavy precipitation caused a landslide, which brought down a wall of a house, killing a woman sleeping inside. A similar accident took place in the southeastern county of Yeongdeok, killing one, according to the disaster authorities.

YONHAP