Seoul: Wildfires in the southeast of Korea have burned approximately 14,694 hectares of woodland, resulting in 15 casualties, including four fatalities, and displacing over 3,300 individuals.
According to Emirates News Agency, Acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong provided an update on the situation at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in Seoul. He noted that efforts to combat the fires have been hampered by strong winds and dry weather conditions.
The government plans to deploy all available resources to tackle the fires, including 110 helicopters and 6,700 personnel, focusing on areas such as Sancheong, Hadong, and Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province, Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province, and Ulsan's Ulju district. Firefighters have managed to contain about 88 percent of the wildfires in these regions as of 7 am on Tuesday.
Local governments have enforced safety measures like roadblocks and preemptive evacuations to mitigate damage. Furthermore, Ko Ki-dong highlighted that 234 forest fires have occurred nationwide this year, primarily due to accidental fires caused by mountain visitors and the burning of agricultural byproducts or trash.