Days of torrential rain have pounded South Korea, closing parts of highways, officials said. Authorities issued a rare flood alert Thursday near a key bridge in the city of Seoul.
The Han River Flood Control Office said its alert issued near one of its bridges is the first such measures since 2011.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports the Han river reached a record level of 11.3 meters, submerging the Jamsu Bridge linking the southern and northern parts of the city.
The swollen river also forced the flood control office to cut off access to riverside roads in Seoul's Yeouido neighborhood and other areas. Officials said riverside parks have been flooded.
The rainfall stopped near that Han River bridge late Thursday, but the flood alert remains effective, according to the agency.
South Korea’s interior ministry said landslides and floods killed 16 people, left 11 missing, and at least 1,600 are displaced from their homes.
Yonhap reports in the hardest hit provinces more than 5,000 houses and facilities were reported flooded or damaged. More than 8,000 hectares of farmland have been inundated.
