At least 27 people have died as a result of wildfires spreading in various places in the southeastern region of South Korea. According to South Korean officials, at least 32 people were injured in the fire.
According to Korean media, the fire started in Sancheong County on Friday afternoon on March 21 and spread to Uiseong County. Due to the strong and dry wind, the fire spread to neighboring counties including Andong, Cheongsong, Yongyang and Yongdeok, according to various news agencies.
This fire, considered the largest in the history of South Korea, has affected more than 36 thousand hectares within a week. It destroyed hundreds of buildings and displaced nearly 37,000 people. According to the Korean news agency Yonhap, the fire has become an event that highlights the "harsh reality" of climate change.
'We are now in a serious situation nationally. The fastest-growing forest fire has caused a large number of human casualties, Acting President Han Deok-su said at a government meeting. He mentioned that the death of elderly citizens is alarming and said that people in nursing hospitals are especially affected.
The military has provided aerial fuel to fight the blaze, which is helping firefighting helicopters fight the blaze in the Himalayan region. As of Thursday morning, authorities have deployed more than 9,000 manpower and about 120 helicopters, according to the government's Disaster Management Center.
According to Korea's disaster management chief, this fire is the "biggest" in South Korea's history. Earlier, in April 2020, a large fire burned 23,913 hectares of forest on the east coast.
Officials did not give detailed information about the civilians who died, but said they were mainly in the age group of 60 and 70 years. Some of the fires that started on Friday are believed to be caused by human negligence. It is said that some people may have started the fire due to splashes from welding or setting fires to remove weeds around family graves.
