Firefighters battle continuous wildfires in South Korea
KARACHI, Pakistan
Firefighters continued to battle wildfires in South Korea's southeastern region for a fourth consecutive day Monday as authorities deployed dozens of helicopters in an attempt to prevent them from spreading.
The deadly wildfires, which have engulfed Sancheong County, have spread to adjacent Hadong County, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported, citing government officials.
Some 36 helicopters were deployed to two counties in South Gyeongsang province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Seoul, beginning Monday morning to contain the wildfires, which have already killed four people.
More than 2,300 firefighters and soldiers were deployed on the ground to prevent the forest fires from spreading to houses and facilities, the government said.
The Sancheong wildfire, which began last Friday, has also injured six people and burned down over two dozen buildings and two Buddhist temples.
The fire then spread to Hadong, leaving nearly 600 people in both counties displaced.
Officials said firefighters had contained 70% of the wildfires in Sancheong as of Monday morning.
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