South Korea has been battling devastating forest fires since last Friday, with the provinces of Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do in the southeastern part of the country being particularly affected. At least four counties have been designated as disaster zones. As of Thursday morning, the fires have claimed the lives of at least 26 people, including firefighters. The latest statistics also report eight serious injuries and 22 minor injuries. Thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate their homes.
According to reports from the government and Interim President Han Duck-soo, all available resources are being deployed in the fight against the fires. However, the situation remains “not good.” More than 5,000 firefighters and over 140 helicopters are engaged in the battle, but the fires continue to spread, having already consumed more than 36,000 hectares of land. As of Thursday morning, there were ten medium and large-scale blazes.
The government in Seoul describes the forest fires as the worst in the country’s history. The disaster has severe consequences not only for the environment, but also for the community. The fires have already destroyed more than 200 buildings, including a 1,000-year-old temple and a historic village that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010.