Typhoon Hinnamnor kills 2, leaves several missing in South Korea
South Korean rescue workers rescue a man from a flooded riverside park in Ulsan on Sep 6, 2022, as Typhoon Hinnamnor hit South Korea's southern provinces. (Photo: AFP/Yonhap/Jung Yeon-je)
SEOUL: Typhoon Hinnamnor killed two people, left 10 missing and thousands displaced on Tuesday (Sep 6), before heading back to sea with few reports of major property damage.
The typhoon, one of the most powerful to bear down on the country in decades, hit the southern island of Jeju overnight before making landfall near the port city of Busan, which was battered by huge waves and heavy rain which damaged beachfront roads and shops.
The typhoon was moving northeast across the Sea of Japan and was expected to brush past Japan's northeastern city of Sapporo at about 9pm, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.
Japanese authorities said the island of Hokkaido, where Sapporo is located, will face high winds and waves overnight and on Wednesday.
Train services and flights were cancelled on the southernmost island of Kyushu when the typhoon passed earlier on Tuesday.
In South Korea's Pohang city, a resident was swept away and killed by strong currents, and eight others were reported missing in submerged underground parking lots, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said.
Local broadcaster YTN showed footage of a wrecked car being pulled out of an underground garage where muddy water blocked its entrance.
Another person died after being buried in a house hit by a landslide in Gyeongju and one person was reported missing in Ulsan as of Tuesday afternoon.
The casualties could rise as rescue operations continue, with the military mobilising amphibious vehicles.
About 2,900 people were evacuated, mostly in the south of the country, and more than 66,000 households nationwide lost power because of the typhoon. About 45 per cent of service was restored by 3pm.
As a precaution, authorities closed more than 600 schools nationwide, and local carriers grounded about 250 domestic flights - but service gradually resumed Tuesday as Hinnamnor headed towards Japan.
POSCO reported a temporary byproduct gas release at its Pohang plant due to a power outage caused by the typhoon.
Shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries based in Ulsan said there were no major losses though some parts of its factory were submerged. Some of its ships were sent to the west coast to head off damage and would return on Thursday.
A spokesperson for Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering said there were no incidents at its shipyard in nearby Changwon so far, and it halted production on Tuesday morning as planned.
Typhoon warnings have been lifted across most parts of South Korea, but President Yoon Suk-yeol urged officials to take precautions until the typhoon is completely gone, his spokesperson said.
The neighbouring North also braced for damage from the typhoon, with leader Kim Jong Un presiding over a two-day meeting on disaster prevention work and releasing water from a dam near its border with South Korea.
South Korea has repeatedly urged the North to give notice before releasing water from the dam as it could result in flooding downstream but Pyongyang has remained unresponsive.
