Localized heavy downpours battered regions north of Seoul Sunday, flooding homes and roads, and knocking down a section of the wire fence on the border with North Korea. Two people were killed after being swept away in swollen streams, officials said.

Up to 272 millimeters of rain fell in northern parts of Gyeonggi Province between Saturday and Sunday alone, with Yeoncheon County near the border with North Korea receiving nearly 100 mm of rain in about an hour from between 6 a.m., officials said.

A 57-year-old man was found dead after being swept away by strong currents in a flooded stream in nearby Pocheon around 11:25 a.m. while a 38-year-old woman was also killed in a similar way in Gapyeong, officials said.

Two people jumped into the stream to save her and later rescued her.

In Namyangju, northeast of Seoul, a mudslide engulfed a two-story house around 9:30 a.m., but the three people who were inside were safely rescued, officials said.

At least 44 houses were inundated and many roads were also flooded or remained closed to traffic due to safety risks, officials said.

On the border with North Korea, two sections of the barbed wire fence fell, one of them 192 meters long and the other 30 m long, due to heavy rains, defense ministry officials said.

Officials said makeshift circle-shaped wires were laid on the ground to fill the gap.

They said such accidents are not uncommon and plan to begin repair work after the rainy season is over.

A total of 64 military units have set up anti-disaster offices to cope with any possible damage from the downpours, the ministry said. (Yonhap News)