August 13, 2007

South Korea floods kill thousands of poultry 

Flooding across South Korea killed thousands of poultry and triggered landslides that washed away roads, with more rain forecast in coming days, officials said Friday (August 10).

Also, wind gusts blew down tree branches and road signs, killing one person earlier this week and injuring four others, the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

The worst damage was in the northwestern province of Gyeonggi, where dozens of houses and businesses were hit by flash flooding. Some 177 hectares of crops were destroyed and 65,000 ducks and chickens drowned since the beginning of the week, the agency said.

Forecasters warned of continued torrential rain in the southern provinces of Gyeongnam and Jeolla in the days ahead.

Rains have also severely damaged crops in impoverished North Korea, state media said Thursday.