BUSAN (South Korea) At least 10 people have been killed and several others are missing after Typhoon Mitag lashed South Korea with heavy rain and strong winds, the authorities said yesterday.
The fierce storm hit southern parts of the country on Wednesday night, prompting flood warnings and triggering landslides in affected areas.
A total of 9 people had been found dead across the country as of yesterday, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said, but the toll was expected to rise, with several people missing.
Mitag is the 18th typhoon this year and the seventh to hit the Korean peninsula. Mitag was downgraded to an extra tropical cyclone after lashing western Japan with torrential rain, the Japanese weather agency said yesterday. However, the powerful storm is still packing strong winds as it travels across the Sea of Japan.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), regions in central and northern Japan, including the Hokuriku and Tohoku areas, are likely to be hit by the cyclone, with the agency warning of possible flooding and landslides over a 24-hour period.
The affected regions could experience winds of up to 126kmh today, which could cause wave surges of up to 6m, the JMA said.
