Seoul, March 23 (IANS) At least four people were killed, six people were injured and some 1,500 people were evacuated as wildfires fueled by strong winds have scorched areas of the South Korea’s southeastern region, disaster authorities said on Sunday.
The fire began in Sancheong County, about 250 kilometres southeast of Seoul, on Friday and spread to other parts.
Of the six people who were injured, five were seriously harmed. All victims were found in Sancheong, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
Lee Han-kyung, deputy chief of the disaster control tower, instructed fire authorities to mobilise all available resources to promptly bring the wildfires under control.
“Wildfires are rapidly spreading to broader regions due to dry weather, threatening people’s lives,” Lee said in a disaster response meeting, vowing all-out efforts to put out the fires.
Firefighters have been struggling to contain the fires, with about 30 helicopters mobilising to put out them. Authorities said the fire in Sancheong had been some 30 per cent contained as of early Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported.
A total of 3,286.11 hectares of land — equivalent to approximately 4,600 football fields — has been burned so far, with more than 1,000 hectares destroyed in Euiseong in North Gyeongsang Province and Sancheong, respectively.
About 1,500 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters as authorities continue efforts to contain the fires.
As of 8 a.m., firefighters were working to extinguish wildfires in four areas across the southeastern region.
The fires are ravaging the country at a time when South Korea is undergoing some of its greatest political turbulence in decades, triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration in December. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is currently leading the country as the acting president.
South Korea’s wildfire season typically peaks in spring, when dry conditions and high winds increase the risk of flames spreading rapidly. Officials have warned of continued dangers in the coming days as weather conditions remain volatile.
–IANS
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