Death toll from South Korean wildfires rises to 70 as flames reignite

Firefighting helicopters battle a wildfire near Goha-ri in Namhu-myeon Andong City North Gyeongsang Province on March 29 Yonhap — Firefighting helicopters battle a wildfire near Goha-ri in Namhu-myeon, Andong City, North Gyeongsang Province on March 29/ Yonhap

SEOUL, March 29 (AJP) - The death toll from South Korea's devastating wildfires has climbed to 70 people, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Saturday. The fires have caused 25 deaths, 5 serious injuries, and 24 minor injuries across five cities and counties in North Gyeongsang Province, including Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok.

In South Gyeongsang Province, wildfires in Sancheong and Hadong resulted in 4 deaths, 5 serious injuries, and 5 minor injuries, bringing the regional casualty count to 14. An additional 2 minor injuries were reported in Ulju, Ulsan, contributing to the total of 70 casualties nationwide.

Although fires in North Gyeongsang Province were declared extinguished on March 28 after burning for a week, they reignited overnight in Andong and Uiseong, prompting authorities to resume firefighting operations. Meanwhile, the wildfire in Sancheong, which began on March 21, continues to burn for the ninth consecutive day, with containment at 96 percent as of 6 a.m. on Saturday.

Candice Kim candicekim1121@ajupress.com