1 more body recovered from flooded underpass

(Yonhap)

South Korean fire authorities recovered the body of one more person presumed to be one of the victims of the deadly flooding of an underpass in Osong-eup, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province on late Monday.

According to the officials, the body was found near the entrance of the Gungpyeong 2 underpass in Cheongju at 7:52 p.m.

Once confirmed, this will be the last of the 12 people who were reported to have gone missing in the tunnel deluge. This will bring the total death toll from the tragedy to 14.

The flooding of the 430-meter tunnel on Saturday was caused by the collapse of a bank of the nearby Miho River. The incident left 17 vehicles submerged in the underpass.

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration on Monday launched an audit to determine who is to be held responsible for the failure to take appropriate safety measures during July's torrential rains, which to date have left at least 41 dead and nine missing. It was discovered earlier that emergency calls were made to the police calling for the evacuation of the Gungpyeong 2 underpass just hours before it flooded, but authorities did not take measures that might have prevented the disaster.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)