Nearly 8,000 people have yet to return home after torrential rains pounded the country last week, officials said, despite the monsoon rain coming to a lull Wednesday.

Across the country, a cumulative 16,514 people had temporarily evacuated their homes as of 11 a.m. Of them, 7,843 were still staying at relatives’ houses or shelters set up at senior centers, village halls or schools, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

The torrential rain that swept the country last week left 44 people dead and six others missing nationwide.

In particular, the flooding of the Osong underground roadway in the central city of Cheongju on Saturday led to 14 deaths, when a nearby river overflowed after an embankment was brought down by rising water levels due to heavy rain.

Downpours have also damaged 1,043 public facilities and 948 other private properties, with the damage centered around South Chungcheong Province. Homes were also destroyed, with 332 homes reported to have been inundated and 90 others damaged, according to officials.

Farmland over half the size of Seoul, amounting to 32,894.5 hectares, was flooded, and 797,000 livestock, including chickens and ducks, died from the downpour.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday designated 13 areas hard-hit from the downpours as special disaster zones, paving the way for them to be eligible for financial support in recovery work, relief funds for victims and other benefits.

Source: Yonhap News Agency