SOUTH KOREA

Death toll increases from intense rainfall

Torrential rains that slammed South Korea for five days have left 17 people dead and 11 others missing, the government said Sunday.

One person was killed on Sunday after their house collapsed during heavy rain and another person was found dead after being swept away by a swollen stream in Gapyeong, a town northeast of Seoul, the Interior and Safety Ministry said.

The ministry said 10 people were discovered dead and four others were reported missing in the southern town of Sancheong over the weekend after heavy downpours caused landslides, house collapses and flash floods there.

Since Wednesday, southern regions have received up to about 24-31 inches of rain, according to the ministry report.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Typhoon rips China, Hong Kong, Macao

Typhoon Wipha toppled trees and caused major flight disruptions Sunday in Hong Kong and at some nearby airports in China as it moved west off the southern coast of the country.

Airports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and the casino hub of Macao canceled or postponed flights for most of the day, according to their websites. Hong Kong grounded at least 400 flights, affecting around 80,000 passengers, broadcaster RTHK said. Some high-speed train services were also suspended.

The storm, which reached typhoon strength overnight, later passed off Macao and was forecast to make landfall on China’s coast late Sunday. It is expected to reach Vietnam later this week.

INDONESIA

Sumatra fire smoke extends to Malaysia

Haze from forest and peatland fires in some parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra island was detected in Malaysia on Sunday, officials said.

Forest and peat fires are an annual problem in Indonesia that strain relations with neighboring countries. In recent years, smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand.

Forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo islands often break out in the region during dry spells, smothering parts of nearby Singapore and Malaysia in haze.

The Indonesian government usually blames plantation owners and traditional farmers for illegally setting the fires for land-clearing.

RUSSIA

Potent earthquakes hit Pacific peninsula

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there is no longer a danger of tsunami waves on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after five powerful quakes — the largest with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea nearby on Sunday.

The largest quake was at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles) and was 144 kilometers (89 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.