[ad_1]
South Korea’s capital was blanketed on Wednesday by the heaviest snowfall in Seoul during November on record, with bad weather snarling traffic, knocking out power and grounding hundreds of flights as authorities braced for more snow in coming days.
At least two people were reported killed in traffic accidents on highways east of the capital, while falling debris from buildings and construction sites due to strong winds injured some pedestrians, media reports said.
Cooler air moving in from the northwest turned rain into snow overnight, leaving 18 cm (7.1 inches) on the ground by 3:00 pm, marking the biggest fall since records started being kept in 1907, the weather agency said.
The Interior Ministry upgraded its disaster response saying up to 5 cm an hour of snow was forecast through Thursday morning, warning the wet snow had a high concentration of moisture, adding to the risk of damage to facilities and property.
More than 200 flights were cancelled or delayed, most of them domestic as airports across the country experienced severe weather conditions, which also included strong wind, and at least 70 ferries serving islands were suspended.
Power was cut for thousands of households in several areas of Seoul and the central region as electricity lines were damaged by falling trees and snow-related causes, news reports said.
More from International
-
17 killed as Israel ups bombing in Gaza
Israeli military strikes killed at least 17 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, as forces stepped up bombardments on central areas and pushed tanks deeper in the north and south of the enclave.
-
Landslides in Indonesia’s Sumatra kill at least 27
Indonesian rescuers are searching for passengers trapped in a minibus buried in mud after flash floods and landslides hit several locations in North Sumatra province, killing at least 27, an official said on Thursday.
-
Syrian armed group makes first advance in years
Syrian armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack on regime forces in the last opposition enclave in northern Syria on Wednesday, seizing territory in the first such advance in years, army and rebel sources said.
-
China releases three US citizens after years of diplomacy
China has released US citizens Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, the White House said on Wednesday, concluding years of diplomacy over Americans that Washington says were wrongfully detained in China.
-
US urges Ukraine to lower conscription age to 18
Ukraine should consider lowering the age of military service for its soldiers to 18 from 25, a senior US administration official said on Wednesday, putting pressure on Kyiv to bolster its fighting forces in the country’s war with Russia.
[ad_2]
Read more
