SEOUL, March 23 (AJP) - At least four people were killed and six others injured as wildfires, driven by strong winds and dry conditions, swept through the nation’s southeastern region.
The fires also forced the evacuation of approximately 1,500 residents.
The blaze began on Friday in Sancheong-gun before spreading to other areas. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, all four victims were discovered in Sancheong. Of the six people injured, five suffered serious harm.
“The wildfires are rapidly spreading due to dry weather, posing a grave threat to people’s lives,” Lee Han-kyung, deputy chief of the nation’s disaster response agency, said during a disaster response meeting. He pledged an all-out effort to bring the situation under control.
Firefighters have struggled to contain the fast-moving flames, with about 30 helicopters deployed to combat the blazes.
As of early Sunday, officials said the fire in Sancheong was about 30 percent contained.
More than 3,286 hectares of land has been scorched, with over 1,000 hectares destroyed in both Euiseong in North Gyeongsang Province and Sancheong. Authorities have evacuated around 1,500 people to temporary shelters.
reporter
Candice Kim
candicekim1121@ajupress.com
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![[PHOTO] Firefighting helicopter tries to suppress wildfire](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2017/05/08/20170508171940822699.jpg)
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