4 missing, 2 dead in rain-hit S. Korea

SEOUL – Floods and heavy rain left six people dead or missing and grounded scores of flights in South Korea, officials said Sunday, warning the downpours were set to continue due to Tropical Storm Meari.

Two people including a rescue worker and a farmer were killed and four went missing due to floods caused by heavy rainfall late last week, the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

The rescue worker was found dead on Saturday in Yeongwol county after being swept away during a search for a three-year-old who gone missing in the floods.

The state weather service issued storm alerts for most parts of the country and warned of possible storm surges from Sunday to Tuesday in southern and western coastal areas as Meari sweeps across the peninsula.

More than 50 flights and 100 ferry services in southern and coastal areas have been cancelled or delayed due to heavy rain and winds.

But the country’s main Incheon International Airport near the capital Seoul has not yet been affected, an airport spokesman said.