Rescuers working to reach passengers trapped in a flooded tunnel in the central South Korean city of Cheongju have recovered 13 bodies.

On Saturday night, flood water from a burst river bank poured into the underpass, quickly trapping people in their cars and commuters on a bus.

Officials are yet to disclose how many got stuck in the 685m (2,247ft) tunnel, but said there were 15 vehicles.

At least 39 people have died in torrential rains the past week.

South Korea has been hit by extreme rainfall which caused floods, landslides and power cuts.

As of Monday morning, at least nine people were still missing after a weekend deluge, authorities said.

In the suburb of Osong, where the tunnel flooded, several of the bodies were recovered from inside a bus. Nine survivors were rescued on Saturday.

The victims’ families say the deaths might have been prevented had the local authorities responded effectively.

Several local media outlets reported that a few hours before the tragedy, the river flood control office had issued a warning about the alarming water levels, and therefore the traffic around the tunnel area should have been diverted.

Most of the other fatalities were in the mountainous North Gyeongsang region, where landslides swept away whole houses.

Almost 300mm (11.8in) of rain is reported to have fallen across South Korea on Saturday.