Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
At least 18 people have been killed and 19 wounds as the forest fires of South Korea continue to devastate the southeast of the country, according to the last numbers of the Ministry of Interior and security.
The “unprecedented” crisis remains critical, according to the interim president they have Duck-Soo, who said that the fires are “rewriting the record books for the worst forest fires in the history of our nation.”
More than 23,000 people have been evacuated and several affected patrimonial cultural sites, including a 1,300 year -old Buddhist temple that was destroyed.
A fire extinction helicopter crashed into the Uiseong County mountains just after noon on Wednesday, according to the authorities, which are investigating the cause.
Thousands of firefighters and approximately 5,000 military personnel have been deployed to contain multiple flames, as well as helicopters from the US army parked in Korea.
On Tuesday, the National Fire Department said that the crisis had raised at the highest level of response to the fire, the first time an alert was issued this year.
Forest fires are relatively unusual in South Korea, and related deaths are rare. The current fires, who have killed 18 people in recent days, are already the most mortal in the history of the country.
Around 17,000 hectares of forest have also been destroyed, which makes the fires the largest third in the history of South Korea in terms of area.
The fires in the city of Uiseong burned the temple of Gounsa, built in the year 618 AD, which was one of the largest temples in the province.
A Buddhist architectural structure considered a national treasure of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) was also destroyed, the forest authorities confirmed.
The interim president, Han, said that all staff and equipment have been deployed, but strong winds continue to hinder support efforts.
“We expected rain desperately today or tomorrow to help extinguish the flames,” Han added.
“This level of damage due to forest fires is different from everything we have experienced before.”
There was no rain forecast for the region on Wednesday and only a small amount, five to 10 mm, expected on Thursday, according to the Korean weather administration.
They have said that the Government will thoroughly review all deficiencies in the response of forest fires once the crisis is controlled and will seek to improve prevention strategies for the future.
“Once a forest fire begins, extinguishing it requires huge resources and puts valuable lives in danger,” he said.
South Korea has experienced drier conditions than normal with less rain than average. There have already been 244 forest fires this year, 2.4 times more than last year.
The Government also promised to strengthen the application against illegal burning, one of the main causes of forest fires, and take energetic measures against individual carelessness.
Forest fires exploded for the first time last Friday in Sancheong County, in the southeast of the country, but now they have extended to the neighboring cities of Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdek.
