The central disaster agency (CDA) said 35 bodies had been recovered since early Saturday. But some 60 people were still listed as missing, despite a massive rescue operation.

Television reports said some 120 people were feared dead or missing.

A rescue helicopter crashed today before reaching some 30 college students trapped by torrents near the mountain, leaving five firefighters seriously injured.

‘‘The helicopter suddenly lost control, while flying low, and was capsized, a witness told Yonhap news agency.

A firefighter was killed and two of his colleagues injured during rescue and recovery operations yesterday.

Some 2,000 rescuers resumed emergency operations today, braving heavy downpours which began pounding South Koreas southern provinces since late Friday.

But only one body was found entangled in a muddy river bankearly today, a CDA official said, adding many of the missing appeared to have been swept into the sea.

Frogmen and fire fighters using rubber boats and ropes have combed rocky valleys and swollen rivers in the resort area where floods swept away some 60 campers and vacationers early Saturday.

BEIJING TO BLAST DIKES:

Meanwhile, China is ready to blow up dozens of dikes to release water into the countryside and save major cities on the Yangtze river from floods, an official was quoted as saying on Monday.

‘‘Preparations for action are still under way in case the situation becomes out of control in key industrial cities or important infrastructures are at risk of flooding, an expert with the Yangtze River Water Conservancy Commission said.

Rising water levels on the dangerously swollen river could be reduced by at least 0.5 metres (1.7 feet) by discharging water at 40 key points in dikes lining the river, he said, as quoted in the newspapers Hong Kong edition.

Residents of seven of the 40‘‘flood diversion area have already been evacuated, he said.

But local officials, who have the final say in such plans, are reluctant to give the green light because of a lack of funds to compensate those affected.

Water levels at cities in the middle reaches of the Yangtze, including Wuhan and Jiujiang, broke records last week with the years third flood peak and remain well above official danger lines.

The condition of level defences waterlogged by nearly a month of flooding, was going from bad to worse, the expert said, adding that only a rainfall stoppage of 10 days or more in upstream areas would allow water levels to recede.

But the report said it has been raining since Saturday along the Minjiang river and other Yangtze tributaries.