Live from Andong City: Wildfires rage across southern S. Korea as death toll rises

We begin with devastating wildfires that started last week in the southeastern part of the country.

As it gets worse, some 20 people have been killed.

Our Lee Eun-hee is standing by at one of the areas hit hard by the disaster.

Eun-hee, how's the situation there?

Yes, Jung-min, I'm now in Andong City in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

The wildfire that started in Uiseong-gun County on Saturday continues to spread.

Where I am stood right now is Hahoe Village which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A fire that that is around 5 to 10 kilometers away from the village,

carried smoke towards the area, and by noon today, the smoke had thickened, increasing tension around the site.

Residents have been evacuated and moving back and forth depending on the situation.

Firefighters and residents are focusing on spraying water on homes and structures in the village every two hours to protect them from the flames.

In this map you can see how the fire has been spreading to neighboring cities and counties due to strong winds including the counties of Yeongdeok, Yeongyang, Cheongsong, and here in Andong.

On my way to the site a few hours ago, there was an evacuation order for residents in certain areas of Andong City.

The challenging weather conditions have been complicating the firefighting efforts.

Meanwhile, the wildfire that started in Sancheong-gun County in Gyeongsangnam-do Province on Friday has been raging on for six days now.

The flames have now spread to Hadong-gun County, even reaching around 2-hundred meters inside Jirisan National Park.

The containment rate, which was at 90-percent at one point on Tuesday, fell to 75-percent at around noon today.

Authorities are fully mobilizing helicopters and ground firefighting teams in the area to bring the fire under control.

However, the damage is worsening and as of this evening, over 1-thousand 5-hundred residents have been relocated to shelters.

As residents are fleeing from the chaos, multiple casualties have been reported in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

The latest update as of this evening shows a provisional estimate of at least 24 people dead and at least 26 injured.

While one elderly person was found to have been completely consumed by the fire, others died during the evacuation process.

The areas most heavily impacted are Uiseong-gun County and Andong City, where over 370 square kilometers have been affected.

As of Wednesday, over 23-thousand people are taking shelter in temporary facilities.

Also, more than 200 structures, including homes, factories, and cultural heritage sites, have been damaged by the flames.

And Eun-hee how have authorities been responding?

According to the government, over 1-hundred helicopters are actively involved in the operation, but at around noon today, one firefighting helicopter crashed at the scene in Uiseong-gun County, with the pilot confirmed dead.

Additionally, over 4-thousand-5-hundred personnel are actively involved in the operation and over 5-hundred firefighting units, focusing on key facilities and densely populated areas of Uiseong, Andong, Yeongyang, Cheongsong, and Yeongdeok.

"The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, along with relevant ministries, local governments, public institutions, volunteers, and village leaders on the front lines, is fully mobilizing all efforts to combat the wildfire and protect residential areas."

We're eagerly awaiting the rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow, but the expected amount is small, so it's uncertain whether it will help extinguish the fire.

But even a small amount could offer some relief, and authorities are hoping for any assistance it may bring.

That's all I have for you, Jung-min.

All right Eun-hee thank you for that report.

That was our Lee Eun-hee reporting live from Andong in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.