Seoul, Aug 8 (IANS): Heavy rains in South Korea that started on August 1, continued to lash the country on Saturday, with the death toll increasing to 21, according to authorities.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said that 11 people were missing, while seven were injured in rain-related incidents, reports Xinhua news agency.

The torrential rain spread from the country's central region, including Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan area, to the southern region on Friday.

The government has designated seven cities and counties in the central region as special disaster zones to provide rapid assistance.

A landslide occurred at Gokseong county in South Jeolla province on Friday afternoon, leaving four dead and one missing.

Two people were killed and five missing in two incidents of boat capsizing, but they were not included in the death toll as the cases were categorized as a marine accident.

A total of 3,059 people were forced to evacuate from their homes.

About 8,439 hectares of farm land were swamped or buried, while 8,246 cases of property damages were reported.

Houses, cattle sheds, warehouses and agricultural plastic houses were flooded or destroyed, while roads, railways, bridges and water reservoirs were damaged.