By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
SEOUL (Worthy News) – South Korea’s Acting President Han Duck-soo said Thursday, “We are nationally in a critical situation with numerous casualties because of the unprecedented rapid spread of forest fires” that killed at least 27 people.
The Asian nation’s worst wildfires on record doubled in seize Thursday from a day earlier, and authorities said scores of people were left dead and many more injured. Tens of thousands of people were displaced, and over 300 structures were destroyed in the disaster, authorities announced.
Among those killed is a pilot whose helicopter reportedly crashed in Uiseong whilst trying to control the flames.
The wildfires have been raging across South Korea’s southeastern regions since last Friday, destroying anything in their path, including ancient Buddhist temples, according to witnesses.
An unidentified 68-year-old monk said he was “devastated” when he heard about the destruction of the Gounsa temple. “We will do our best to restore the function of the temple,” he told reporters.
The 1,300 Buddhist architectural structure deemed a national treasure from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was destroyed, forestry authorities confirmed.
The fire in Uiseong city happened while many cultural relics were removed and transported to safer ground, officials said. The impact on churches was unclear immediately, but South Korea has a significant devoted Christian community.
33,000 HECTARES GONE
On Thursday, officials confirmed that over 33,000 hectares (81,500 acres) had been charred or were still burning in the largest fires that began in Uiseong county. This made it the most enormous single forest fire in South Korea’s history. The previous record was 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres) in a March 2000 fire.
Acting President Han Duck-soo warned that the “unprecedented” crisis is “rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in our nation’s history.”
South Korea’s government mobilized thousands of emergency responders and dozens of helicopters to tackle the blazes, but officials cautioned that their efforts were hampered by strong winds fanning the flares.
Authorities announced that the wildfires that originated in Uiseong have been rushing eastward, spreading almost to the coast. They are carried by gusty winds, and dry conditions are aggravating the situation.
The Uiseong fire began spreading quickly on Wednesday, reaching the coastal county of Yeongdeok 51 km (32 miles) away in just 12 hours, warned Won Myung-soo, director of satellite imagery analysis for the National Forestry Service.
Government officials suspect human error caused several of the fires, possibly due to the use of fire while clearing overgrown grass in family tombs or sparks from welding work.
A 30-year-old man living in Uiseong said: “Both the upstairs and next door houses were burned down. This area is full of grandparents. They have lived here their whole lives, and when their houses burn down, they have nowhere to go.”
NOT ENOUGH RAIN
Rain was due later Thursday, but Korea Forest Service chief Lim Sang-seop said the forecast amount — less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) — was unlikely to help much extinguish the wildfires.
By Thursday, thousands of firefighters, about 5,000 military personnel, and helicopters from the U.S. military stationed in Korea had been deployed to contain the flames.
Yet that help came too late for a village resident in the Andong area: “Our house has completely burned down. It was almost completely collapsed.”
Elsewhere in the city of Andong, people sheltering at an elementary school were told to leave quickly as gusty winds spread the fire.
In Andong, truck driver Lee Seung-Joo saw the mountains burn as he drove by.
“It was like the apocalypse,” the 39-year-old recalled.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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