Seoul– The death toll in South Korea’s biggest fire so far has reached 26. 30 people have been injured in this, out of which 8 people are in serious condition.
Officials have informed that the age of most of the deceased is between 60 and 70 years. A helicopter deployed to fight the blaze crashed on Wednesday, killing one pilot. At least three firefighters have also died.
Thousands of firefighters as well as soldiers have been deployed to control the fire. Fire has become a great threat to cultural heritage. The fire in the city of Uisong has destroyed the Goonsa Temple, built in 618 AD. It was one of the largest temples in the province.
The fire started last Friday in Sancheong County. It has now spread to six more counties. Due to the strong and dry winds, it is spreading further.
Lee Han Kyung, head of disaster management in South Korea, said on Thursday that the fire has spread to 35,810 hectares. He claimed that this is the biggest fire in the country’s history. The previous fire in 2000 had burned 23,913 hectares.