Wildfires spread in S.Korea, fanned by strong winds as death toll climbs to 24

Firefighters were scrambling on March 26 to contain a wave of wildfires that tore through the southeastern region and killed at least 24, but strong winds and dry weather have continued to hamper efforts to limit the spread of wildfires, Report informs via Yonhap.

Scores of firefighting helicopters, about 5,000 personnel and some 560 pieces of equipment were mobilized, but the wildfires that began in Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province last Friday have spread across the region's northeast.

For five days, the fires have spread to nearby Uiseong and were advancing to neighboring Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok.

Of the 24 victims from the wildfires, 20 were found in Uiseong and four were from Sancheong as of 4 p.m., according to data from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

Police and fire authorities earlier tallied 21 deaths in the northern part of North Gyeongsang Province: two in Andong, three in Cheongsong, six in Yeongyang and seven in Yeongdeok.

The wildfires are at risk of spreading further to eastern coastal regions due to the strong winds, raising concerns the flames could reach the coastal county of Uljin, home to a major nuclear power plant.

A forestry official urged caution against unpredictable factors, such as sudden shifts in the wind direction, noting that while the Uiseong wildfires initially spread eastward, southerly and southwesterly winds were observed on Tuesday and Wednesday.