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19 April 2024

S.Korea hit by record snow, army conducts rescues

A man removes snow from his car after heavy snowfalls at a bus terminal in Gangneung, about 237 km (147 miles) east of Seoul. The city received 77.7 centimetres of snow the largest one-day snowfall since the nation started its weather forecast in 1911, Yonhap news agency reported. (REUTERS)

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By Reuters

The biggest snowfall in a century has buried cities in eastern South Korea and prompted rescue operations involving some 12,000 soldiers, as the coldest winter in years grips the peninsula.

Hundreds of motorists were stranded and dozens of buildings collapsed after more than a metre of snow fell over some parts of the region over the weekend. The weather bureau has forecast more heavy snow for the region on Monday.

The country's capital, Seoul, and main industrial hubs were not affected by the storm.

The heavy snow comes just a few weeks after temperatures hit record lows, causing the Han River in central Seoul to ice over for the first time in years.

North Korea also recorded its coldest January in 26 years.