South Korea wildfires become worst on record as death toll reaches 26
South Korea authorities are battling the country's worst-ever wildfires that have left 26 dead and destroyed over 300 structures, including ancient Buddhist temples.
Among the dead is a pilot whose helicopter crashed in Uiseong whilst trying to control the flames.
On Thursday, helicopters dumped water over the wildfires that have been raging across South Korea's southeastern regions since last Friday.
The government has mobilised thousands of emergency responders and dozens of helicopters to tackle the blazes, but officials say their efforts are hampered by strong winds fanning the flares.
Korea Forest Service chief Lim Sang-seop said 'a small amount' — less than 5 millimetres — of rain was expected in the area on Thursday, but added it would likely not be enough to combat the infernos.
The wildfires have so far burned through 88,980 acres of land in the country's southeast, with observers saying the figure is the worst of its kind in South Korea.
The blazes have also injured 30 people — eight seriously — destroyed 325 buildings and forced 37,180 people to evacuate.
Related
Dozens dead and thousands evacuated in 'unprecedented' South Korea wildfires
A temple built in the 7th century was among the buildings destroyed in Uiseong, with around 20 of the 30 structures at the Gounsa temple complex collapsing due to the fires.
Among them were two state-designated 'treasures' — a pavilion-shaped building erected overlooking a stream in 1668, and a Joseon dynasty structure built in 1904 to mark the longevity of a king.
On Wednesday night, strong winds and smoke-filled skies forced authorities in the southeastern city of Andong to order evacuations in two villages, including Puncheon, home to the Hahoe folk village — a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded around the 14th-15th century.
'Damages are snowballing,' acting President Han Duck-soo warned in a televised address on Wednesday. 'There are concerns that we'll have wildfire damages that we've never experienced, so we have to concentrate all our capabilities on putting out the wildfires this week.'
Authorities suspect human error caused several of the wildfires, including cases where people started fires while clearing overgrown grass from family tombs or with sparks during welding work.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
a few seconds ago
- Japan Today
Venus Williams falls at first hurdle in Cincinnati
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has been knocked out of the first round of the Cincinnati Open, her second tournament after a 16-month absence from the WTA tour tennis Venus Williams rallied from 4-1 down in the first set but could not maintain momentum, the seven-time Grand Slam champion falling 6-4, 6-4 to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Thursday. Williams, 45, was competing for the second time in three weeks after returning to the WTA tour in Washington in her first tournament in 16 months. Williams won her first-round match in Washington before bowing out to Magdalena Frech in straight sets. Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 51st, was thrilled by the sense of occasion on the opening day of the tournament, the last major tuneup prior to the August 25 start of the US Open. "It was not easy at all," the Spaniard said of taking on Williams. "She's a legend, it was a privilege to play against her." Bouzas Maneiro said her 87-minute win was "like a dream". "I never thought that I would ever play Venus," the 22-year-old said. "I was just lucky with that. "I tried to have a lot of intensity, but I had no rhythm. She hits so hard. I tried to focus. I had to be positive to win the points." Williams was playing Cincinnati for the 11th time. She reached the semi-finals in 2012 and in her most recent prior appearance had lost in the second round to China's Zheng qinwen in 2023. She said this week that after a serious health scare last year that involved surgery to remove uterine fibroids she is relishing her return to the courts. "I'm in a completely different space and I have a clean bill of health, thank God," she said. In results from the ATP Masters 1000 event draw, Brazil's Joao Fonseca began with a win over China's Bu Yunchaokete 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Fonseca overcame 18 unforced errors and snapped a three-match losing streak in Masters 1000 events. "I was struggling a lot, missing a lot of shots, not feeling my best today," Fonseca admitted. "I was staying in the game, believing that I would find the opportunity, and I got it. I'm very happy with how I believed." Belgian Zizou Bergs defeated Britain's Jakob Fearnley 6-1, 6-4 while there were wins for Frenchmen Benjamin Bonzi and Arthur Rinderknech. © 2025 AFP
The Mainichi
a few seconds ago
- The Mainichi
Special heavy rain warning issued for Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's weather agency issued a special heavy rain warning for Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Friday morning, as rain battered the southwestern island of Kyushu. The Satsuma and Osumi areas in the prefecture have been seeing severe precipitation for some time, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Over the 24-hour period through 4:40 a.m., rainfall totaling 491.5 millimeters hit an area of Kirishima, marking its largest recorded downpour. The weather agency warned people to be on high alert as dangerous conditions may already exist in affected areas. Kagoshima Airport is located in Kirishima.
The Mainichi
a few seconds ago
- The Mainichi
The grandchildren of 2 men who experienced both A-bomb attacks 80 years ago now work for peace
HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) -- When the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Ari Beser's grandfather was on board both of the American B-29 bombers that carried the weapons. On the ground, Kosuzu Harada's grandfather survived both attacks. Neither of the men -- U.S. radar specialist Jacob Beser and Japanese engineer Tsutomu Yamaguchi -- met during their lives. But both became staunch advocates of nuclear abolishment. Decades later, that shared goal has brought their grandchildren together. Ari Beser and Harada are telling their grandfathers' linked stories and working to seek reconciliation and understanding about an attack that continues to divide people in both countries. During this week's commemoration of the 80th anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks, the grandchildren visited a station in Hiroshima where Yamaguchi, badly injured, boarded a train back to his hometown of Nagasaki a day after the Aug. 6, 1945, attack. The two grandchildren then went to the Hiroshima peace park where they spoke with The Associated Press about what their grandfathers experienced during two of the 20th century's most momentous events and their consequences. Kosuzu Harada remembers her grandfather as a compassionate advocate for peace Yamaguchi was 29 when he was burned severely in the Hiroshima bombing. He was in the city on a temporary assignment as a shipbuilding engineer. After Yamaguchi arrived in Nagasaki, and was telling colleagues about the attack he'd witnessed in Hiroshima, the second bomb exploded. Harada first learned about her grandfather's experience of both bombs when she interviewed him for an assignment in elementary school. Yamaguchi didn't talk about his experience in public until he was 90 because of worries about discrimination. He then became a vocal activist for peace until he died in 2010. In 2013, Harada learned that the grandson of an American who was on the planes that bombed both Hiroshima and Nagasaki wanted to hear about Yamaguchi's story. "I had mixed feelings as a family member of the survivors," Harada said, recalling Ari Beser's first visit. Ari Beser quietly listened as Harada's mother talked about Yamaguchi. Harada and her mother were surprised when they learned the senior Beser was exposed to radiation during his missions. "We used to see ourselves only from the victims' perspective," she said. "We learned that war effects and ruins everyone's lives." "I feel it is my role to keep telling about the horror ... so that the same mistake will never be repeated," Harada added. She tours Japan to talk about her grandfather's story and to push for a nuclear-free world. Yamaguchi used to say that he could never forgive the U.S. government for dropping the bombs, but he had no hatred for Americans. Even as his health deteriorated, Yamaguchi still spoke of his past, holding an interview from his hospital bed. Beser, a visual journalist and producer, has since regularly visited Nagasaki, and he and Harada have become friends. Harada believes the U.S. government should formally apologize for the bombings. "A reconciliation takes time. It's a long process which takes generations," Harada said. Ari Beser's grandfather was considered a hero at schools for his role in the bombings When he was asked about the attacks during his first visit to Hiroshima 40 years ago, Jacob Beser did not apologize, but said: "I wouldn't say it was our proudest moment." He said the world needed to make sure it doesn't happen again. Growing up, Ari Beser was told that his grandfather's bone cancer was presumably from his radiation exposure during the bombing missions. In 2011, Ari Beser traveled to Japan for the first time to learn more about the bombings. He has since met many survivors and is eager to hear their stories. "Before, I think that we all believed in the same justifications. I can't justify it anymore," Ari Beser said about the bombings. "For me, all I focus on is trying to convey it to people so that it doesn't happen again." Because his grandfather was on both B-29s, Ari Beser was always interested in meeting a double survivor. That led him to Harada's family 12 years ago. "It's passing the baton and it's leaving the record. ... We are the keepers of memory," Ari Beser said. He was young when his grandfather died and never got to talk with him about the bombings. "I also want to interview him or just want to ask him so many questions" and find out if there were other options besides dropping the bomb. Despite language difficulties, the two grandchildren keep communicating and working together on projects, including a book about their grandfathers. As the world increasingly becomes a divisive place, with fighting in the Middle East and Ukraine, Ari Beser believes his work with Harada is more important than ever. "It makes you nervous, makes you worry because if this history repeats with today's nuclear weapons, it's almost unimaginable how much would be destroyed," Ari Beser said. Visiting Japan and meeting with Harada, he said, "makes me little bit more hopeful. ... Everybody needs hope and this is how I get hope."
