At least 16 people have been killed and 19 injured in wildfires that have swept across southern South Korea amid dry conditions and strong winds, government officials said.
Authorities in Andong and other towns in the southeast ordered residents to evacuate on Tuesday as firefighters battled multiple blazes fueled by dry winds that have burned more than 43,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of buildings, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple.
More than 5,500 people were forced to flee their homes in Andong, as well as in the neighboring counties of Uiseong and Sancheong and in the city of Ulsan, where the fires were most intense, according to South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korean officials said firefighters had extinguished most of the flames in the region's largest wildfires, but continued dry and windy weather had caused delays and allowed the fires to spread again.
About 9,000 firefighters, more than 130 helicopters and hundreds of vehicles are involved in battling the blaze, but work was partially halted overnight due to increasing winds.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
