SEOUL – The death toll from multiple wildfires tearing through the southeastern region of South Korea rose to 24 on Wednesday, officials said, with more than 27 000 residents evacuated and historical treasures destroyed as firefighters race to extinguish the unprecedented blazes.
The fires, which broke out on Friday in Sancheong County and have spread to several neighbouring areas, are “rewriting the record for the worst forest fire in history,” South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo said in an address to the public on Wednesday morning.
More than 42 000 acres and over 200 houses and factories have been destroyed, Han said, as strong winds continue to fuel the fires.
Almost 5 000 personnel and some 128 firefighting helicopters have been deployed to fight the blazes, Han said, with additional help coming from US military stationed in the country.
Among those killed was the pilot of a firefighting helicopter, whose aircraft went down on a mountain in Uiseong, 110 miles southeast of Seoul.
The region is home to numerous ancient heritage sites, and the fire’s rampage has claimed most of the buildings at the 1 300-year-old Gounsa Temple in Uiseong, a major Buddhist landmark.
The government’s Korea Heritage Service said it had rescued some 17 historic treasures, including wooden printing blocks, Buddhist paintings and a wooden statue, from Gounsa and other major sites such as Bongjeongsa Temple in Andong as of Wednesday morning.
Andong Hahoe folk village, a UNESCO World Heritage site, posted a notice on its website Wednesday saying it was under threat from approaching wildfires and would be closed to visitors.
The Korea Forest Service said Wednesday that firefighters were trying to contain at least five active wildfires. As of 3 p.m. local time, fires in Sancheong and the surrounding areas were 90 per cent extinguished, fires around Uiju were 92 per cent extinguished and fires around Uiseong were 62 per cent extinguished, the service said.
“We are responding to the worst wildfire in history with all the manpower and equipment we can mobilise, but the situation is not normal,” Han said Wednesday.
“The direct reason why the forest fires are not being put out is because strong winds have been blowing all night long,” he said. “We were desperately waiting for rain today or tomorrow to put out the fires.” (UPI)
