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In a televised address, South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo said the wildfires that began last Friday were causing worse damage than many other past wildfires.
Wind-driven wildfires that were among South Korea’s worst ever were ravaging the country’s southern regions, killing 24 people, destroying more than 200 structures and forcing 27,000 residents to evacuate, officials said Wednesday.
The death toll included a pilot who died after a helicopter crashed during efforts to contain wildfires in the southeastern town of Uiseong, one of the hardest-hit areas. The aircraft had no other crew members. The National Fire Agency said at least 26 other people sustained varying degrees of injuries.
