ANKARA

At least five people were killed and thousands were evacuated when record-breaking rains battered South Korea's southern regions Wednesday.

Torrential rainfall also disrupted train and flight services in the affected areas, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported, citing local authorities.

The town of Gunsan, located some 178 kilometers (110 miles) south of Seoul, got 131.7 millimeters (5.19 inches) of rain within a one-hour period until 2:42 a.m. local time (1700GMT Tuesday), marking the heaviest hourly downpour on official record nationwide.

The hourly precipitation accounts for over 10% of the city's average annual rainfall of 1,246 mm (49 in).

"It was a level of severity seen once in about 200 years," a weather agency official said.

A massive downpour also pounded parts of the South Chungcheong province, recording 111.5 mm (4.4 in) of downpour per hour at one point in the early morning.

In Wanju in the North Jeolla province, rescuers evacuated 18 villagers who were stranded due to a swollen stream, with some waiting on rooftops for help.

Apart from five casualties, some 391 incidents of flooded roads, soil runoff due to landslides, and submerged bridges were reported nationwide.

A total of 3,568 people were evacuated to safety from rain-hit areas.​​​​​​​