85 Reported Dead, 30 Missing as Typhoon Strikes South Korea

Typhoon Maemi struck the Southeast corner of South Korea on Friday night with deadly consequences. The most powerful storm to hit the peninsula since records have been kept packed winds up to 134 mph (215 kph) and struck at high tide, increasing the damages. At least 85 people have been reported dead and another 30 are missing, as the country continues rescue efforts.

Pusan, South Korea’s main port, was struck directly by the Typhoon, as were Ulsan, Taegu and Masan. The storm downed power lines, flooded low lying areas and sunk at least 82 vessels. Hyundai’s shipyards reported significant damages of around $10 million to some ships and oil rigs under construction., as well as the loss of a number of construction cranes.

The government said it would make 1.4 trillion won (around $1.2 billion) available for disaster relief. Preliminary damage estimates are in the $385 million range, but will certainly increase as more loss reports are received.