Seoul: Firefighters using helicopters and soldiers were struggling to contain the nation's worst-ever wildfires on Thursday that have ravaged the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang, with the death toll from the blazes reaching 27 and another 32 injured. Since last Friday, a wave of wildfires has ravaged the region, and some 36,000 hectares of woodland have been burned, according to government data. It is nearly 13,000 ha more than the 23,794 ha damaged by the east coast wildfires in 2000, which were the worst in the nation's history at the time. About 37,000 people have been displaced, including 29,911 in the Uiseong and Andong areas in North Gyeongsang Province.
According to Yonhap News Agency, earlier in the day, acting President Han Duck-soo instructed acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong to reside in North Gyeongsang Province and oversee relief efforts for wildfire victims until the blazes are brought under control. "It is worrying that many of the victims are senior citizens, including patients at nursing hospitals," Han said. "Please personally take care of the victims' health and safety on the ground and activate an efficient support system so that the wildfire-extinguishing personnel and volunteer workers do not burn out," Han said.
On the same day, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya issued a message of condolence to the wildfire victims in Korea, hoping for a "fast recovery of affected people and their return to normal life." Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima also delivered a consolation message for the victims.
In North Gyeongsang Province, intense efforts have been underway to limit the spread of wildfires. Authorities mobilized helicopters, fire trucks, and firefighting personnel to battle the blaze that began in Uiseong County, about 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Saturday and has rapidly spread due to strong winds. Some 5 mm of rain was expected to fall in North Gyeongsang Province, according to weather officials. A main blaze in Uiseong, which was moving at speeds of up to 8 kilometers per hour, has spread toward the northeast and reached coastal areas in the East Sea. Another main blaze in Ulju, however, showed signs of being extinguished, Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-kyum told reporters.
Water was cut off in some parts of Andong for the second day, prompting the city government to supply bottled water and emergency supplies to residents. Nearly 2,500 houses in the city experienced power outages, with officials still working to restore electricity to 177 of them. The nearby county of Yeongdeok also suffered water and power disruptions as a water purification plant burned down, electricity was cut off to another plant, and a power substation halted operations. Communication services were also down in the county overnight before being restored early Thursday.
The government designated the hardest-hit southeastern regions as disaster zones to focus resources and accelerate recovery efforts. The government earlier designated Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province; Ulju, Ulsan; Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province; and Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, as special disaster zones. On Thursday, four more jurisdictions in the southeastern region -- Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang Province -- were added to the list.