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Wildfire in Korea's Sancheong County kills 4, another 6 injured, 263 displaced

Published: 22 Mar. 2025, 22:37 Updated: 23 Mar. 2025, 13:22

SARAH KIM
[email protected]

A wildfire that broke out the day before in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong County, in South Gyeongsang, blazes through the night on March 22. [NEWS1]

Four people were killed as wildfires swept Korea's Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang on Saturday.

Fire authorities said another six firefighters and residents were injured, while 263 residents from seven villages in Sancheong County were displaced as fire suppressions efforts continued thought the night.

The wildfire initially spread across mountains in Sincheon-ri, Sicheon-myeon, in Sancheong County at 3:30 p.m. Friday as blazes spread across Korea's southeastern regions. Firefighting authorities dispatched some 35 helicopters to extinguish the wildfires which blazed in Sancheong County through Saturday.

Around 3 p.m. Saturday, authorities said that eight firefighters and one civil servant were stranded while battling wildfire spreading in Sicheon-myeon due to strong winds.

Rescue workers were dispatched, and one person with severe burns was transferred to a nearby hospital, along with four others who sustained minor injuries.

At around 5 p.m., two more bodies were found near a ridge and recovered. However, the whereabouts of two others, including one wildfire firefighter and one civil servant, were unclear. Fire authorities continued search efforts using GPS tracking.

At around 8 p.m., two additional bodies, presumed to be the missing people, were found at the scene of the blaze. South Gyeongsang police plan to confirm their identities.

Firefighters extinguish a fire at a factory building after a wildfire in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang, spread on March 22. [YONHAP]

The Korean government declared a state of national disaster Saturday over the wildfires in Ulsan and the North and South Gyeongsang regions at 6 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok earlier recommended a national disaster declaration in order to effectively implement measures to combat the disaster and recovery efforts.

Choi ordered related officials to consider designating the affected areas as special disaster zones.

So far, the wildfires affected 503 hectares of forest land, according to authorities.

Some 1,300 personnel including firefighters, civil servants, police officers and soldiers, along with 120 pieces of equipment, were dispatched to the scene to help suppress the blaze.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]