Toll from South Korea typhoon rises to 17

29 Aug 2012, 7:45 pm   -   Source: AAP
About 1.9 million South Korean homes and businesses lost power, the National Emergency Management Agency said, though all but about 34,000 had electricity restored by Wednesday morning. (AP)

About 1.9 million South Korean homes and businesses lost power, the National Emergency Management Agency said, though all but about 34,000 had electricity restored by Wednesday morning. (AP)

Typhoon Bolaven has left a trail of damage in South Korea, killing 17 people and sparking a dramatic rescue operation.

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South Korean rescuers have recovered two more bodies near two wrecked Chinese fishing boats, bringing the confirmed death toll from a powerful typhoon to 17.

Typhoon Bolaven - the strongest to hit the South for almost a decade - left a trail of death and damage in southwestern and south-central regions of the country.

It drove two Chinese fishing ships aground early Tuesday off the southern island of Jeju, sparking a dramatic rescue operation.

Coastguards wearing wetsuits struggled through high waves and pulled a total of 12 people to safety. Six swam ashore, seven bodies had been recovered as of Wednesday afternoon and eight were still missing.

"Two more bodies were retrieved today near the wreckage. We're still combing the area," spokesman Ko Chang-Keon of the Seogwipo Coastguard in Jeju told AFP.

Dozens of divers are involved in the ongoing search. The coastguard said in a statement it would make "utmost efforts" to account for all the missing.

Most other deaths were caused by wind gusts that toppled walls or roofs or blew victims off their feet. The public administration ministry said the confirmed death toll, including the seven Chinese, was 17.

Typhoon alerts covering most of the country were lifted as ferries and flights returned to normal and schools reopened. But South Korea is now on watch for another typhoon, Tembin.

Bolaven moved on to North Korea, where state media reported damaged crops and power cuts around the western city of Haeju. About 300 roadside trees along the Pyongyang-Kaesong highway were toppled, halting traffic.

The North's official news agency said there was likely to be more damage after strong winds and heavy rain hit western regions.

Bolaven crossed the Yalu border river into China early on Wednesday.

In South Korea, the typhoon was the strongest since 2003 in terms of wind speed. The maximum speed of 214km/h was recorded at Mount Mudeung in the southwestern city of Gwangju.

Power cuts of five minutes or longer hit nearly two million homes, a record in the country, the public administration ministry said.

The storm toppled nearly 8000 trees and damaged 42 ships or boats and 35 houses. A total of 6418 hectares of farmland was damaged.

Typhoon Tembin, located about 350km northeast of the Taiwanese capital Taipei early Wednesday, is approaching South Korea at a speed of 20km/h.

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