Eleven people are feared to be trapped in a flooded underpass in the city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province after heavy rains inundated the region.

An official of the local fire service said in a briefing that firefighters initially estimated that 19 vehicles were stuck, but police confirmed with surveillance footage that there are a total 15 vehicles trapped in the underpass in Osong-eup, including 12 passenger cars, two trucks and one bus.

The official said authorities have yet to confirm how many people are in the vehicles, adding that eleven people have been reported missing.

So far, one person has died from the flooded underpass.

Search and rescue efforts have been delayed as authorities attempt to drain the road and prevent more water from flowing into the underpass from a nearby stream.

The official said once a gap of one meter from the ceiling of the underpass is secured, authorities will assign 12 divers in four groups to look for the missing people.