Death toll from South Korean wildfires rises to 24, officials say
- Multiple wildfires in southeastern South Korea, including one in Sancheong county approximately 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, have been burning for days, resulting in four deaths.
- High winds and rising temperatures have hindered efforts to extinguish the blazes, which have affected nearly 7,000 hectares of land in Uiseong, leading to the evacuation of around 600 people.
- In response, South Korean authorities are deploying thousands of firefighters and soldiers along with 57 helicopters to control the wildfires, with the Korea Forest Service issuing severe fire warnings for North and South Gyeongsang provinces, Busan, and Daejeon.
- The government declared a state of emergency due to the extensive damage caused by the simultaneous wildfires, prompting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to visit the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and urge authorities to work together until the fires are completely extinguished, stating, "It is a truly heartbreaking incident."
- Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, also urged authorities to mobilize all means to quickly and safely suppress the fires and prevent additional wildfires.
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Force forces are also among the victims - 40,000 hectares of forest in South Korea already affected by the fires.
A forest fire has been raging in southwestern South Korea since Friday, claiming 24 lives so far, according to authorities. More than 20 people have been injured, 12 of them seriously. The fire is still being extinguished, and residents are being evacuated. According to local media, it is the third largest fire in the country's history.
More than 170,000 acres of forest have burned in South Korea - Thousands of firefighters have been deployed to battle the flames
South Korea Is Grappling With Devastating Wildfires
Current conditions: Phoenix saw record high temperatures on Tuesday for the second day in a row • A freak hail storm turned a city in the south of Spain into a winter wonderland • Widespread bleaching has been recorded at Australia’s two World Heritage-listed coral reefs after an intense marine heatwave.THE TOP FIVE1. South Korea grapples with worst wildfires in yearsAt least 24 people have been killed and more than 27,000 evacuated in South Kor…
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