Seoul, March 26 (IANS) Firefighters were scrambling on Wednesday to contain a wave of wildfires that tore through South Korea’s southeastern region and killed at least 24, but strong winds and dry weather have continued to hamper efforts to limit the spread of the flames.
Scores of firefighting helicopters, about 5,000 personnel and some 560 pieces of equipment were mobilised, but the wildfires that began in Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province last Friday have spread across the region’s northeast.
For five days, the fires have spread to nearby Uiseong and were advancing to neighboring Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok.
Of the 24 victims from the wildfires, 20 were found in Uiseong and four were from Sancheong as of 4 p.m., according to data from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
Police and fire authorities earlier tallied 21 deaths in the northern part of North Gyeongsang Province: two in Andong, three in Cheongsong, six in Yeongyang, and seven in Yeongdeok.
The wildfires are at risk of spreading further to eastern coastal regions due to the strong winds, raising concerns the flames could reach the coastal county of Uljin, home to a major nuclear power plant.
A forestry official urged caution against unpredictable factors, such as sudden shifts in the wind direction, noting that while the Uiseong wildfires initially spread eastward, southerly and southwesterly winds were observed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Yeongyang, four of the five victims were found burned to death on a road at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, acting President Han Duck-soo called for all-out efforts to help prevent the further spread of the deadly wildfires, describing them as “the worst ever wildfires.”
So far, the wildfires have destroyed 17,000 hectares of forest and 209 houses and factories, Han said.
The engulfing flames destroyed Goun Temple in Uiseong, an ancient temple built in 681 during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). National treasures stored in the temple had been relocated to other locations earlier.
Earlier in the day, a firefighting helicopter crashed in Uiseong while battling a large wildfire in the country, killing the pilot.
The North and South Gyeongsang regions are home to numerous historical and cultural assets, including national treasures.
With the blazes showing signs of drawing closer, tensions were again rising around Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, Yonhap news agency reported.
Authorities said the wildfire has advanced to within just 5 kilometers of Hahoe Village and plan to deploy two firefighting helicopters as a preemptive measure.
Hahoe, about 190 km southeast of Seoul, is one of the most famous and popular folk villages in South Korea and was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 2010. It preserves houses and traditions from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
–IANS
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