Hundreds of S. Koreans flee as floods trigger landslides after longest spell of monsoon rain in 7 years

South Korea’s longest spell of monsoon rain in seven years triggered floods that have forced more than 1,000 people to flee their homes. At least 13 people were killed in landslides and in swept-away cars, authorities said on Tuesday.

Heavy rain, which has also battered China, India, Myanmar and Thailand in recent days, has inundated farmland and flooded parts of key highways and bridges in the capital, Seoul, Reuters reported.

President Moon Jae-in expressed concern for public workers battling the coronavirus pandemic after 42 days of rain, which weather officials said was the longest such stretch since 2013.

In India, the city of Mumbai issued a red alert on Tuesday and warned people not to venture out after heavy overnight rain in the financial hub brought flooding and travel chaos. Some suburbs have seen more than 300mm of rain in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning and more heavy rain is expected over the next two days.