Seoul declares national disaster as winds fan giant forest fire

Firefighters work to put out flames during a wildfire in Sokcho, South Korea, April 5, 2019.PHOTO: REUTERS

SEOUL, Apr 5, 2019, Reuters, AFP. Thousands of firefighters and soldiers are starting to contain wildfires in South Korea on Friday (April 5) which have killed one person and forced more than 4,000 people to flee their homes, the South Korean government said, reported The Straits Times.

The fires broke out in eastern Gangwon Province on Thursday evening and spread to the cities of Sokcho and Gangneung, burning about 525 hectares and some 198 homes, warehouses and other buildings by early Friday, the government said.

About 2,263 citizens were evacuted to gymnasiums and schools by early Friday, down from about 4,230 citizens earlier. 52 schools were closed.

The fire in the Sokcho region has been contained, the government said, while about 50 per cent of the fire in the Gangneung region was contained.

President Moon Jae-in has ordered the use of all available resources to extinguish the forest fires, the presidential office said.

Some 872 fire trucks and 3,251 firefighters from all over the country are currently working to contain the wildfire, the National Fire Agency said. The Ministry of Defence said some 16,500 soldiers, 32 military helicopters and 26 military firetrucks have been deployed as well, and plans to provide meals for 6,800 people.

Police found the body of a man on a road, apparently dead as a result of the fire, Yonhap said.

Eleven others were injured, but that toll was expected to rise on Friday.

Local officials earlier said the fire broke out alongside a road in Goseong, which is located about 210km north-east of the capital Seoul.

It quickly spread to a nearby mountainside, forcing the evacuations.

“As the wind is especially strong, we are focusing more on reducing casualties than extinguishing the fire,” Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon was quoted by Yonhap as saying.

The central government declared a state of national disaster, entitling affected areas to special assistance including goods and equipment, and banning entry to dangerous zones.

Some 4 billion won (S$4.8 million) in special subsidies will be issued for containing the fires and cleaning up debris, along with 250 million won in disaster relief funds for temporary accomodation and daily necessities for evacuees, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.

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