The Korea Herald

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2 dead, 2 injured in Nonsan charnel house landslide

By Jung Min-kyung

Published : July 14, 2023 - 20:51

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Yangji Memorial House in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, is seen buried in mud and debris after a landslide. (South Chungcheong Fire Department) Yangji Memorial House in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, is seen buried in mud and debris after a landslide. (South Chungcheong Fire Department)

Two people died and two were injured after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall overtook a charnel house on Friday in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, authorities said.

A pile of mud from a nearby mountain came crashing down on the city-run Yangji Memorial House at 4:02 p.m, according to South Chungcheong Fire Department. A man in his 80s, identified by his surname Yoon, was visiting at the time with his wife in her 70s, their 21-year-old grandson and a 59-year-old cousin.

All four people were buried under mud and debris. They immediately called emergency authorities for help.

When the fire department arrived at the site, emergency personnel dug at the site for 90 minutes to rescue the family.

However, Yoon and his wife were found dead. The grandson and the cousin were severely injured and taken to the hospital.

Most of South Korea has been affected by heavy torrential downpours for much of the week. A heavy rain warning was issued for Nonsan on Friday.