Typhoon Kompasu hits South Korea

SEOUL - Typhoon Kompasu made landfall in northern South Korea early Thursday, leaving two dead and causing the worst disruption to power and transport networks in the capital for a decade, a report said.

Winds of over 100 km per hour knocked down trees and utility poles and blew out windows across Seoul, as the centre of the storm passed 80 km to the north of the capital after making landfall at 6.35 a.m. (2135 GMT Wednesday) on the west coast.

An 80-year-old man was killed when he was hit by a roof tile in Seosan, around 60 km southwest of Seoul, and a 37-year-old was killed by a falling branch on the southern outskirts of the capital, South Korea’s Yonhap News agency said.

Kindergartens in the metropolitan area were closed, and most overground rail transport around the capital was not running.

All flights early Thursday at Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport were cancelled, as well as nearly 20 international flights from and to Incheon International Airport, west of the city.

The worst storm to hit South Korea in 15 years damaged over 100 houses and cut power to around 130,000 more, authorities said.

Gusts of almost 190 km per hour were recorded on Hong Island off the southwest coast, the strongest winds since 2000, meteorologists were quoted as saying.

The area’s agriculture was thought to be affected, with extensive damage reported to rice paddies and fruit orchards on the west coast.

The Korean Meteorological Administration forecast that the storm would move to the Sea of Japan later Thursday.