Heavy rainfall causes collapse of river banks, flooding in Southern regions

'물폭탄'에 섬진강 제방 붕괴, 화개장터 잠겨' 남부지방 폭우로 쑥대밭Turning to the Southern regions, with more than 400 millimeters of rain falling over the past two days, major rivers and streams have overflowed, forcing residents to evacuate.Our Kim Mok-yeon has the details.Two days of torrential downpours have caused flooding along the Seomjin river in Jeollanam-do province.The National Fire Agency said Saturday that more than a 100-meter stretch of the river's bank in Namwon city collapsed, inundating vast swathes of farmland and at least 70 houses.Some 200 residents were asked to evacuate to temporary shelters.The heavy rainfall also flooded a nursing hospital in Gurye near the area, causing some 300 patients and medical staff to be isolated.The Hwagae Market, which connects Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces was also flooded for the first time in 32 years, with water levels rising to up to the chest of an average adult.The rainfall also put some villages in the western part of South Gyeongsang Province underwater and hampered several train operations.All KTX train services between Iksan, in Jeollabuk-do Province, and Yeoju in Jeollanam-do Province, came to a halt from 10AM Saturday, and train schedules to and from Gwangju are only operating partially.The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast more rain in Gwangju and areas near the Jeolla provinces through Sunday morning.Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.