Deadly wildfires engulf South Korea, prompting widespread evacuations. Image credit: Sinar Daily
(The Post News)- South Korea has been ravaged by wildfires leaving four dead and six injured.
According to the Korea Forest Service, firefighters have rushed out to put out the fires amid dry, windy weather on Sunday. The authorities say that over 9,000 staff and 105 helicopters have been deployed to put out the fires that have affected areas in mostly in the southeast of South Korea, damaging residential by and a temple.
In a disaster response meeting, acting President Choi Sang-mok, over 1,500 residents sought refuge because the fires ravaged about 6,300 hectares of forests. Choi urged the Korea Forest Service to prioritize the safety of wildfire responders, ensuring their protection while battling fires from the air and ground, and pledged to utilize all available resources to combat the fires.
Officials that more than two dozen wildfires broke out over the weekend and all but five fires have so far been put out. According to the Interior Ministry, it has looked into reports claiming the fired started in Sancheong was caused by a farmer’s lawnmower caught fire. On Saturday, a government report said a separate blaze started on Saturday morning in a cemetery in Euiseonh County. On the same day, another fire started from a garbage incinerators on Saturday afternoon in Gimhae.
According to officials, the fire in Sancheong was about 70% contained as of Monday. Fires in southeastern regions, such as Gimhae, Ulju, and Okcheon counties, are nearing full containment or extinguishment. The government declared a state of disaster for part of the region on Saturday.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung calls on authorities to deploy all resources to rapidly and safely extinguish wildfires and implement measures to prevent further outbreaks.
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