At least 18 people have been killed and 19 injured as South Korea’s wildfires continue to ravage the country’s southeast.
According to the latest numbers from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, more than 23,000 people have been evacuated and hundreds of structures damaged, with strong winds fuelling the blaze. Several heritage cultural sites have also been affected, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple that was destroyed, while other national treasures are being relocated. Thousands of firefighters and about 5,000 military personnel have been deployed to contain multiple blazes, including helicopters from the US military stationed in Korea.
About 17,000 hectares of forest have also been destroyed, making the fires the third largest in South Korea’s history in terms of area. In a statement, acting president Han Duck-soo said the fires are rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in Korea’s history.
The wildfires first broke out last week in Sancheong County, in the country’s southeast, but have now spread to the neighbouring cities of Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok
