Seoul, Jul 10 (IANS): Three people were found dead, and other damages were reported, as heavy rain battered South Korea's southern regions overnight, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

The body of a man was retrieved from an inundated elevator of the studio apartment building in Nonsan City, South Chungcheong province at about 3.00 a.m. local time (1800 GMT Tuesday), according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, reports Xinhua news agency.

A man in his 70s was found in cardiac arrest inside a collapsed house, caused by a landslide, in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong province at around 3.57 a.m. The man was moved to a hospital but confirmed dead later.

Over 100 mm of downpour pounded the Seocheon county for about an hour until 3.16 a.m.

Another person was found dead in Daegu City, North Gyeongsang province on Wednesday morning for an unidentified reason. The person was estimated to have been swept into a swollen stream.

The death toll was expected to rise as a missing person was reported in North Chungcheong province.

Accumulated precipitation in South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces ranged from 118.5 mm to 255.0 mm between midnight and 5 a.m.

A total of 195 rain damages, including flooded roads and dikes, were reported in public facilities, while 92 damages to private facilities were reported including flooded houses and cars.

The drenching rainfall led to the evacuation of 3,072 people, among whom 1,404 people were allowed to go back home.