Massive fire in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, about 54 percent contained
The death toll from the massive wildfires ravaging South Korea's southeastern region climbed to 26 as of Thursday morning, with the authorities provisionally estimating 36,009 hectares have been damaged in the biggest series of forest fires in the nation's history.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said in a Thursday briefing that at least 26 deaths and 30 injuries were reported as direct results of the forest fires burning in 10 regions across the country since March 14. Additional casualties occurred from fire responders trying to extinguish the flames, including a firefighting helicopter pilot who died in a crash Wednesday.
A total of 37,185 residents have been forced to evacuate, while 325 facilities, including homes, factories and historically relevant heritage sites, have been destroyed. This includes Gounsa Temple in Uiseong-gun, built in 681 A.D.
The largest fire ravaging the northern North Gyeongsang Province is believed to have burned about 33,204 hectares of forest, according to another briefing by the Korea Forest Service on Thursday morning. The KFS believed that the fires across North Gyeongsan Province were about 44.3 percent contained as of briefing time.
The area expects about 5 millimeters of rain Thursday, but authorities said it was unlikely to impact firefighting efforts.
According to the KFS, the fire in the most heavily affected Uiseong-gun is about 54 percent contained, while the fires in Andong-gun and Cheongsong-gun are about 52 percent and 77 percent contained. The fires in Yeongyang- gun and Yeongdeok-gun are only about 18 percent and 10 percent contained as of Thursday morning.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
