Typhoon Saomai slammed into the southern part of South Korea with gusty winds and torrential rains on Saturday leaving at least two people dead and several others missing, news reports said. Amid driving rains in the southern port of Pusan, a taxicab skidded on a bridge and plunged into the sea, leaving an unknown number of passengers missing, Yonhap news agency said. The taxicab could not be found in high waves.
Two people died in the southern province of south Kyongsang surrounding Pusan. A 63-year-old farmer died after his house was buried in a mudslide triggered by heavy rainfalls and a 49-year-old driver was killed when his car slid and crashed into a tree. Schools in Pusan and south Kyongsang were closed on Saturday and all flights and ferry services to and from Pusan were suspended. Sanchong County in the province has received 16.5 inches of rain in 48 hours. The weather forecast said that the typhoon would pass through the eastern part of the Korean peninsula before reaching the east sea (sea of Japan) on Sunday. Bureau Report