SOUTH KOREA – The death toll from the ongoing heavy rains in South Korea have risen to 4 as 2 more people were confirmed dead, with 2 still missing.

The deaths were reported from the city of Seosan in the south Chungcheong province. The 2 missing people include 1 person swept away by a river in Gwangju in the southwest and another one reported missing in the same area.

Local authorities said they evacuated 5,600 people in 13 different cities and provinces after flooding while rain and floods also damaged 496 public and 276 private properties.

Heavy rain also disrupted ferry service in some areas.

On Thursday, the South Korean government raised the weather-related disaster alert to its highest level, “serious,” in response to the growing damage caused by the ongoing heavy rainfall.

On Thursday weather officials said Seosan, the hardest-hit area, saw up to 344 millimeters (13.5 inches) of rain since Wednesday evening.

In a single hour – between 1.46 am and 2.46 am – the city saw 114.9 mm (4.5 inches) of rain, the highest hourly total for July since weather records began there in 1968.