Landslide hits S.Korea mountain resort, 13 dead

Rescue workers remove a dead body from a collapsed house in Chuncheon, about 100 km (60 miles) east of Seoul, July 27, 2011.

CHUNCHEON, South Korea (Reuters) - A landslide caused by torrential rain crashed into a South Korean mountain resort east of Seoul on Wednesday, destroying three small hotels and killing at least 13 people, the emergency services said.

Wild weather has battered the central region of the country since late Tuesday, causing widespread flooding and travel chaos. The share price of insurers fell on fears that damage costs would run into millions of dollars.

At Chuncheon, about 100 km (60 miles) east of Seoul, emergency workers, aided by soldiers, were clearing away mud and rubble from buildings after rescuing dozens of holidaymakers.

"We were asleep and suddenly I heard a big sound, and then the ceiling fell down," Lee Beon-seok, a student, told a television station.

A resident reported hearing what sounded like a train.

"Then I heard someone shouting 'help me'. So I went out to see, and I saw a landslide had swept all over the area," she said.

Officials said 24 people were injured when the wall of mud crashed into the buildings near the Soyang River Dam just after midnight.

Authorities in Seoul said one person was killed when a landslide smashed into houses on the edge of capital.

About 400 mm (16 inches) of rain has fallen on Seoul in the past 24 hours, causing flash floods, landslides and bridge closures. A blackout hit the south of the city, suspending train services, and subway stations were inundated.

The weather bureau said heavy rain would last until Friday.

There was no immediate reports of damage to crops, and flights and shipping were not affected.

(Reporting by Seoul bureau; Writing by Jeremy Laurence; Editing by Robert Birsel)