Seoul, Aug 10 Heavy rainfall and strong winds from typhoon Khanun caused flooding, landslides and extensive facility damage across South Korea on Thursday, as it was sweeping the nation from south to north after landing on the southeastern coast in the morning.
The typhoon also forced the cancellations of 355 flights at 14 airports, 161 KTX high-speed trains and 251 regular trains, and the closures of 490 roads, 166 coastal areas, 178 sea routes and 21 national parks nationwide, reports Yonhap News Agency.
No casualties have been reported as a result of the typhoon but 10,641 people have been evacuated to emergency shelters, according to government figures.
In the central county of Buyeo, a woman in her 30s was taken to hospital after being struck by a falling tree on a road Thursday morning.
A total of 1,579 kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools suspended or curtailed classes, or shifted to online classes due to the typhoon.
Khanun, which landed on the southeastern coast near Geoje at 9.20 a.m., was cutting through the inland regions longitudinally and is expected to reach 40 km east-southeast of Seoul around 9 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
The expected path of Khanun is unprecedented as it is to become the first to pass through the Korean Peninsula from south to north since recordkeeping began in 1951.
Thus it may stay over South Korea for about 15 hours.
All regions, except the southern resort island of Jeju, are put under a typhoon warning or advisory, as the KMA forecast downpours of up to 500 mm in northeastern coastal areas and 100 mm to 200 mm in the capital, central and western coastal areas until early Friday morning.
The maximum wind speed hit 34.9 mps in the southern city of Busan in the morning and is expected to reach 15 to 25 mps in the Seoul metropolitan area and 20 to 40 mps elsewhere, the KMA said.
--IANS
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