South Korea counts cost of Rusa as 88 die and at least 70 are missing

AFTER spending two nights by candlelight, tens of thousands of South Koreans heaved shovels yesterday to clear mud and debris from homes devastated by the worst typhoon to hit the country in 40 years.

The government's National Disaster Prevention and Countermeasures Headquarters said at least 88 people were killed and 70 missing in flash floods and landslides caused by Typhoon Rusa over the weekend.

Authorities were trying to confirm reports by relatives and villagers that another 29 people were swept away by floodwaters or buried in landslides. Local media gave higher death tolls ranging from 132 to 187.

Also, North Korean media reported "scores of people" were killed there by the storm. Before landing on South Korea, the typhoon brushed Okinawa, Japan, pulling two US marines under waves on Friday.

The marines were presumed dead, Japan Coast Guard official Masayoshi Iranima said yesterday.

US Marines media officer Brad Gordon said yesterday a search-and-recovery operation was underway for the marines, identified earlier as Lance Cpl. Richard Moore, 24, and Lance Cpl. Beatriz Rodriguez, 20. Their hometowns were not given.

Okinawa, about 1,000 miles southwest of Tokyo, is home to more than half the 47,000 US troops stationed in Japan.