Chinese fishermen killed as typhoon hits SK coast
Source: Agencies |
August 29, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A POWERFUL typhoon pounded South Korea with strong winds and heavy rain yesterday, killing nine people and churning up rough seas that smashed two Chinese fishing ships onto rocks and forced the coastguard to perform a daring rescue of survivors.
Rescuers saved 12 fishermen and searched for 10 still missing from the ships that hit rocks off South Korea's southern Jeju island. Five fishermen were killed, officials said.
The four other fatalities came as Typhoon Bolaven knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of South Koreans, canceled flights and temporarily halted joint war games by United States and South Korean military forces.
North Korea, which is still struggling to rebuild from massive floods and a devastating drought before that, was next in the typhoon's path. Heavy rain and strong winds hit many parts of the country yesterday, a day that was supposed to be a North Korean celebration of its young people.
Off Jeju island, dangerous waves kept rescue vessels from approaching the wrecked fishing boats. The coastguard used a special gun to shoot rope to one ship so officers could pull themselves over and bring the fishermen back to shore, spokesman Ko Chang-keon said.
Eighteen fishermen survived. The coast guard rescued 12, and the others swam or were washed ashore.
South Korea issued a storm warning for the capital, Seoul, as Bolaven battered the country's south and west, knocking over street lights and church spires and ripping signs from stores.
A large container box crushed an apartment janitor to death, a woman fell to her death from a rooftop where she kept dried red peppers and another person died after bricks hit a house, according to disaster and fire officials. An 80-year-old man died after a small makeshift building fell on him, officials said.
Strong gusts of wind left Seoul streets covered with garbage and tree branches. More than 15,000 schools canceled classes, and businesses and homes taped windows or pasted the glass with wet newspapers to keep them from shattering.
About 1.7 million South Korean homes and businesses lost power, the National Emergency Management Agency said, though all but about 200,000 had electricity restored by last night.
More than 80 families were left homeless because of floods or storm damage. Nearly 200 flights were canceled, 860 hectares of farmland were flooded and 32 ships were damaged, the agency said.
In Pyongyang, cars splashed through slightly flooded streets, spraying people on crowded sidewalks who scrambled to avoid the water.
Residents appeared to be going about their daily lives, though many wore rain boots and jackets, angling umbrellas against the wind and rain.
The bad weather came on North Korea's first Youth Day since Kim Jong Un took over as leader in December.
North Korea is still trying to help people with food, shelter, health care and clean water after heavy flooding in July, according to a recent United Nations report. More than 170 people died nationwide, and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed in the floods, according to official North Korean accounts.
Weather officials had warned that Bolaven would be the strongest typhoon to hit the region in several years, but its gusts weren't as powerful as predicted.
Rescuers saved 12 fishermen and searched for 10 still missing from the ships that hit rocks off South Korea's southern Jeju island. Five fishermen were killed, officials said.
The four other fatalities came as Typhoon Bolaven knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of South Koreans, canceled flights and temporarily halted joint war games by United States and South Korean military forces.
North Korea, which is still struggling to rebuild from massive floods and a devastating drought before that, was next in the typhoon's path. Heavy rain and strong winds hit many parts of the country yesterday, a day that was supposed to be a North Korean celebration of its young people.
Off Jeju island, dangerous waves kept rescue vessels from approaching the wrecked fishing boats. The coastguard used a special gun to shoot rope to one ship so officers could pull themselves over and bring the fishermen back to shore, spokesman Ko Chang-keon said.
Eighteen fishermen survived. The coast guard rescued 12, and the others swam or were washed ashore.
South Korea issued a storm warning for the capital, Seoul, as Bolaven battered the country's south and west, knocking over street lights and church spires and ripping signs from stores.
A large container box crushed an apartment janitor to death, a woman fell to her death from a rooftop where she kept dried red peppers and another person died after bricks hit a house, according to disaster and fire officials. An 80-year-old man died after a small makeshift building fell on him, officials said.
Strong gusts of wind left Seoul streets covered with garbage and tree branches. More than 15,000 schools canceled classes, and businesses and homes taped windows or pasted the glass with wet newspapers to keep them from shattering.
About 1.7 million South Korean homes and businesses lost power, the National Emergency Management Agency said, though all but about 200,000 had electricity restored by last night.
More than 80 families were left homeless because of floods or storm damage. Nearly 200 flights were canceled, 860 hectares of farmland were flooded and 32 ships were damaged, the agency said.
In Pyongyang, cars splashed through slightly flooded streets, spraying people on crowded sidewalks who scrambled to avoid the water.
Residents appeared to be going about their daily lives, though many wore rain boots and jackets, angling umbrellas against the wind and rain.
The bad weather came on North Korea's first Youth Day since Kim Jong Un took over as leader in December.
North Korea is still trying to help people with food, shelter, health care and clean water after heavy flooding in July, according to a recent United Nations report. More than 170 people died nationwide, and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed in the floods, according to official North Korean accounts.
Weather officials had warned that Bolaven would be the strongest typhoon to hit the region in several years, but its gusts weren't as powerful as predicted.
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