South Korea was hit by heavy snow on Thursday and for a second day, with dozens of flights canceled, ferry services suspended and at least four deaths reported in the harsh winter, but the situation is showing signs of easing.
Thursday's snowfall was the third heaviest in the capital Seoul since records began in 1907, Yonhap News reported, citing city data. The day before, the snowfall record for November was broken.
More than 40 centimeters of snow had fallen in some areas of Seoul by 8 a.m. Thursday, forcing the cancellation of more than 140 flights, but by 10 a.m. weather authorities had lifted the heavy snow warning for the capital region.
One person was killed and two injured when a snow-covered net collapsed at a golf driving range late Wednesday, and another person was killed when a similar protective tent collapsed in a parking lot, media reported.
At least two more people were killed in a traffic accident on a highway east of the capital, according to reports. Police said 11 people were injured in a collision involving 53 vehicles on a highway in central Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Wednesday night.
Seoul's main airport, Incheon, was the worst affected, with passengers experiencing an average two-hour delay, with 14% of flights delayed and 15% canceled on Thursday, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. It became.
By Thursday, authorities said about 142 flights had been canceled and 99 ferries on 76 routes had been suspended, and media reported trains were also delayed.
Schools in Gyeonggi province, which borders Seoul, received permission to close if necessary on Thursday, local authorities said.
The unusually heavy snowfall in November is thought to be due to higher-than-usual seawater temperatures on the western side of the Korean Peninsula, which was then encountered by a flow of cold air.
More than 10 centimeters of snow fell in some areas in neighboring North Korea between Tuesday and Wednesday, state broadcaster Korean Central Television said.
