Over 20 dead and 10 missing as landslides, flood sweep homes in South Korea

At least 24 people died and 10 were missing due to three days of incessant rain that has caused landslides and flooding in South Korea.

More than 1,500 people were evacuated nationwide on Saturday according to the interior and safety ministry, which said the number could rise as water rose over the dam in North Chungcheong province.

The majority of the fatalities were reported from the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, where 16 people died largely due to landslides that led to house collapses.

One person was killed in a mudslide in the central city of Sejong, while three people died in southeastern county of Yeongju and the central county of Cheongyang due to housing collapse.

In the central city of Cheongju, one person died after their car was struck by a landslide, according to Yonhap news agency.

Earlier in the day, one person was reported dead and nine others were rescued after an overflowing river flooded a nearby underground road.

According to reports, two people went missing after flooding in their village in Yecheon, and five were injured in landslide-related accidents, including a train derailment.

Heavy rainfall has been lashing parts of South Korea since 9 July. Parts of central South Korea were expected to receive rainfall up to 1.6 inches per hour in some places later in the day, authorities said.

The death is likely to rise as South Korea's weather agency said some parts of the country will continue to receive heavy rains until Sunday.

The Korea Railroad Corp announced the halting of all slow trains and a few bullet trains, while other trains might be delayed due to landslides threatening safety.

A slow train derailed late on Friday when a landslide threw earth and sand over tracks in Chungcheong province, the transport ministry said. The engineer was injured, but all the passengers were unharmed.

At least 13 cities across South Korea reported long electricity blackouts. While power has been restored in most places, more than 8,300 households in Mungyeong, Yeongju and Yecheon in North Gyeongsang Province still remain without power.

Prime minister Han Duck-soo in a meeting with government agencies on Saturday called for the military to actively join in the rescue operation.