On March 26th, the South Korean Central Disaster Safety Countermeasure Headquarters reported that from the afternoon of the 25th to the morning of the 26th, the death toll from wildfires in the northern region of Gyeongsangbuk do had risen to 18, with 19 people injured, including 6 seriously injured. In addition to the four firefighters who died in the mountain fire in Sangcheong gun, Gyeongsangnam do on the 22nd, the wildfire in southeastern South Korea has caused 22 deaths.
A wildfire broke out in some forest areas in southeastern South Korea on March 21. Due to strong winds, dry weather, and other factors, the fire was fierce and the progress of firefighting work was slow. The South Korean Ministry of Administrative Security announced on the 25th that the wildfires continued in four areas on that day, with the burned area exceeding 14000 hectares.
Faced with the severe situation of wildfires, the National Heritage Agency of South Korea issued the highest level national heritage disaster crisis warning nationwide on the 25th. At around 17:00 local time on the 25th, the thousand year old temple Guyun Temple, located in Dengyun Mountain, Yicheng County, Gyeongsangbuk do, built in 681 AD, was completely destroyed by the spreading wildfire. At present, Hehui Village and Pingshan Academy, which are listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, are also facing the threat of wildfires.
On the 25th, South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok soo revealed at a cabinet meeting that preliminary investigations showed that the Yicheng fire was accidentally caused by a person taking care of the family cemetery. He stated that most wildfires are caused by human negligence, and the public should strictly follow the wildfire prevention guidelines. To extinguish the wildfires, South Korean authorities have deployed over 6700 firefighters, with nearly two fifths of them dispatched to Yicheng. The Korean Forest Service and Fire Department mobilized available firefighting resources nationwide, deploying 110 helicopters and over 6700 personnel to participate in firefighting work on the 25th, making every effort to prevent the spread of wildfires to residential areas.
On the 25th, Gao Qitong, the Minister of the Central Disaster Safety Countermeasure Department of South Korea, stated that adverse weather conditions such as strong winds, dry weather, and heavy smoke have brought great difficulties to firefighting work. As of the 24th, there have been a total of 234 wildfires in South Korea this year, most of which were caused by human activities. The public should pay special attention to preventing the risk of wildfires.
(Editer：admin)
