South Korea flood deaths cast doubt on work to prepare for extreme weather

Rescue workers look for victims during a search and rescue operation near an underpass that has been submerged by a flooded river caused by torrential rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-ji

SEOUL (Reuters) -A year after South Korea vowed to step up readiness for extreme weather driven by climate change, experts say not enough work has been done even as greater volumes of sudden and torrential rains are expected in coming decades.

Forty or more people have lost their lives in less than a week of heavy rains - including 14 who died when floodwaters trapped them in an underpass in the city of Cheongju - casting doubt on the country's efforts to prepare for localised and intense downpours.