South Korea says wildfires worst in its history, death toll rises to 26

Authorities in South Korea have declared that the country’s wildfires are still occurring, making them the worst to have ever affected them.

At least 26 people have been killed by the wildfires that started late on Friday in Sancheong county in Northern Gyeongsang province, according to local authorities on Thursday.

More than twice as much landmass as it was reported on Wednesday, and far more than the previous worst-ever wildfire in South Korea, which scorched 59, 000 acres (24,000 hectares) of land in March 2000, has burned.

According to a report from the Reuters news agency, South Korea’s acting president Han Duck-soo stated at a government meeting that “the unprecedented rapid spread of forest fires” is “the country’s critical situation with numerous casualties.

The fires that have spread across mountainous terrain in the country’s southeast, including Gyeongbuk, Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Sancheong, have been fought by South Korea’s fleet of more than 120 helicopters, which are being fueled by strong, dry winds.

Although the meteorological agency in South Korea has predicted rain, the majority of the affected areas are expected to receive less than 5mm of precipitation.

According to Korea’s Forest Service Minister Lim Sang-seop, “the amount of rain is going to be small, so it doesn’t appear to be a big help in trying to put out the fire.”

According to government officials, the fires were likely brought on by human error, citing potential man-made causes, such as the burning of family tombs or sparks from welding equipment.

Authorities claim that only half the average amount of rain has fallen in many affected areas this season.

After being trapped by quick-moving flames in Sancheong county, South Gyeongsang province, four government employees and firefighters died on Saturday. In a remote area of Uiseong, a pilot died as a result of his helicopter’s collision while attempting to contain a fire.

Nearly 30 000 people have been forced to leave their homes as a result of fires that are already raging across their neighborhoods. &nbsp,

Half of the 30 structures that make up the Gounsa Buddhist temple in Uiseong county have also been engulfed in flames. Two state-designated “treasures” are among the damaged structures at Gounsa, one of which was constructed in the seventh century, a pavilion-shaped structure constructed in 1668 and a 1904 Joseon Dynasty structure constructed in 1904.