South Korean landslides kill 32

People drive cars and buses vehicles through a flooded road in Seoul (AP)

People drive vehicles through a flooded road in Seoul after heavy rain sent a landslide barreling into a resort in Chuncheon (AP)

Rescue workers carry a body after a landslide in Chuncehon, South Korea (AP)

Published: 6:29am, 27th July 2011
Updated: 12:46am, 28th July 2011

Heavy rain has sent landslides smashing through South Korea's capital and a northern town , killing at least 32 people, including 10 college students doing volunteer work.

The students died as mud and debris engulfed them as they slept in a resort cabin in Chuncheon, about 70miles from the capital Seoul.

About 500 officials and residents worked to rescue people trapped in the mud and wreckage. Twenty-four people were injured and several buildings destroyed

In southern Seoul, 16 people died when mud crashed through homes at the foot of a mountain. Three others also died after a stream just south of Seoul flooded and 10 people were reported missing throughout the country.

The heavy rain also left about 620 people homeless and flooded 720 houses and about 100 vehicles throughout South Korea, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

South Korea has been pummeled with strong rain this week.

About 15 inches fell in Seoul in just 17 hours starting on Tuesday afternoon. More than 10 inches fell on Chuncheon in the last two days. Weather officials said another 10 inches could fall in northern South Korea, including Seoul, up to Friday.

Fast-moving muddy water filled streets in Seoul on , with people scrambling to the roofs of their partially submerged cars. Water filled some subway stations and spewed from sewers.

Seoul shut down portions of two major city roads stretching along each side of the main Han River because of high water levels.

Fire and rescue workers were also trying to reach about 60 houses that were cut off from roads in Seoul's Hyeongchon village because of the heavy rain