Up to three people have been killed after Tropical Storm 'Kompasu' battered central South Korea on Thursday wreaking havoc, the official Yonhap news agency reported.
Kompasu, the seventh typhoon to hit the region this year, made its landfall on Ganghwa Island on South Korea's west coast and blasted through the capital Seoul.
The gale-force winds accompanied by heavy showers virtually brought normal life to a halt as it paralyzed subway operations and caused massive power outages along the country's western coast.
Also the inclement weather forced cancellation as well as diversion of several inland and outward flights at Seoul's Gimpo International Airport and nearby Incheon airport.
With uprooted trees blocking free movement of traffic and most of Seoul's subway lines rendered out of service, motorists and pedestrians were put to much hardship.
According to meteorologists, Kompasu which is Japanese for "compass" is the most powerful tropical storm to hit Seoul in the last 15 years.
However, with Kompasu exiting the region, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has lifted typhoon warnings for Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province, though storm warnings still remain in force along the coastal zones.
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