Pilot dies in South Korea’s largest wildfire ever, firefighting helicopter crashes
Agency. South Korean officials say a wildfire in the country’s southeastern region has burned more forest and caused more casualties than previous such fires.
So far, 26 deaths have been confirmed and tens of thousands of people have been displaced.
According to local authorities, most of the dead were people between the ages of 60 and 80. Witnesses described harrowing scenes as the fire destroyed their homes.
The fire, which began on March 21, has been fueled by very dry conditions and strong winds, adding to the damage.
Thousands of firefighters and soldiers have been deployed to control the blaze.
This level of damage is considered unprecedented, even though fires in South Korea are considered unusual compared to other places .
Officials have described the blaze as the worst since records began, with officials saying it has so far burned more than 35,800 hectares.
More than 120 helicopters have been deployed in the three areas.
A firefighting helicopter crashed on Wednesday, killing its pilot and at least three other firefighters.
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The country’s disaster chief has said the scale of the fires has exposed the harsh reality of the climate crisis.
Cultural heritage is also affected.
Workers are deployed to protect and move important artifacts that are at risk of being destroyed by the fires.
The fires are also said to be posing a major threat to cultural heritage. A fire in the city of Isang has destroyed one of the largest temples there, the Gaonsa Temple, built in 618 AD.
People are struggling to get historical artifacts out of the reach of the fire across the southeastern region of South Korea.
Although weather forecasts predict about 5 millimeters of rain in the fire-affected areas, officials said they are watching it cautiously.
“The amount of rain is low, so it doesn’t seem to be helping much in extinguishing the fire,” Lim Sang-seop, head of the Korea Forest Service, said at a briefing.
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