Nine survivors were rescued from the tunnel, but the total number of passengers trapped in vehicles wasn't immediately clear, Seo said. South Korea has been pounded by heavy rains since July 9.

As of the end of 2023, there are 2,892 tunnels in South Korea. Among them, 172 are aging tunnels over 30 years old, accounting for 5.9% of the total. This number is expected to increase to 740 by ...