<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Rescuers working to reach passengers trapped in a flooded tunnel in the central South Korean city of Cheongju have recovered 13 bodies.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Saturday night, flood water from a burst river bank poured into the underpass, quickly trapping people in their cars and commuters on a bus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Officials are yet to disclose how many got stuck in the 685m (2,247ft) tunnel, but said there were 15 vehicles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At least 39 people have died in torrential rains the past week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">South Korea has been hit by extreme rainfall which caused floods, landslides and power cuts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As of Monday morning, at least nine people were still missing after a weekend deluge, authorities said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the suburb of Osong, where the tunnel flooded, several of the bodies were recovered from inside a bus. Nine survivors were rescued on Saturday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The victims' families say the deaths might have been prevented had the local authorities responded effectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several local media outlets reported that a few hours before the tragedy, the river flood control office had issued a warning about the alarming water levels, and therefore the traffic around the tunnel area should have been diverted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of the other fatalities were in the mountainous North Gyeongsang region, where landslides swept away whole houses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Almost 300mm (11.8in) of rain is reported to have fallen across South Korea on Saturday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The country typically sees 1,000mm (39.4in) to 1,800mm (70.9in) a year, according to the Korean Meteorological Association - although much of that does fall during the summer months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aerial pictures from flood-affected areas show brown mud and flood waters so deep, only the tops of roofs can been seen sticking out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thousands of people have been affected by evacuation orders issued by various local governments and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has asked the military to help with the rescue efforts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Early on Saturday morning local time, some 6,400 residents were evacuated after the Goesan Dam, also in North Chungcheong, began to overflow, the agency said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A number of low-lying villages near the dam as well as many of the roads connecting them were submerged, leaving some residents trapped in their homes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Deadly floods sweep Asia in intense monsoon season</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Four ways climate change is affecting the weather</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Late on Friday, a landslide caused a train to derail in North Chungcheong. One engineer was injured, but the train was not carrying passengers at the time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Korail, the country's national rail operator, has announced the suspension of all slow trains and some bullet trains, and said other bullet services would be disrupted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast more rainfall through to Wednesday next week. It warned that the weather conditions pose a "grave" danger.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Extreme rain has caused floods and landslides across several countries - including India, China and Japan - over the past fortnight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While many factors contribute to flooding, scientists say a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The warmer it becomes, the more moisture the atmosphere can hold, resulting in more droplets and heavier rainfall, sometimes in a shorter space of time and over a smaller area. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>