The military deployed an additional 990 personnel and 48 helicopters Wednesday to help combat wildfires that have devastated the country's southeastern regions, the defense ministry said.
At least 18 have been killed so far due to a wave of wildfires that began Friday and has since ravaged the southeastern regions, with strong winds hampering firefighting efforts against the spreading blazes.
With the latest deployment, the military has so far mobilized some 6,000 personnel and 242 helicopters to help contain the wildfires, the ministry said.
It has also supplied about 20,000 pieces of relief goods -- such as blankets and ration packs -- as well as 400,000 liters of petroleum to fuel helicopters operated by other government agencies.
In addition, four helicopters from the U.S. Forces Korea, including a UH-60 Blackhawk and a CH-47 Chinook, will also be deployed in the Sancheong area in South Gyeongsang Province.
In a response meeting held earlier in the day, acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho ordered proactively supporting residents in areas hit by the wildfires while emphasizing safety and health guidelines for deployed personnel, the ministry said. (Yonhap)
