Unprecedented Blazes Kill 18 in South Korea, Thousands Evacuated

Wildfires raging in South Korea’s southeastern region since Friday afternoon have killed 18 people and left 19 injured, prompting the government to declare a national emergency in the region.

The unprecedented disaster has scorched nearly 15,000 hectares of land. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety says helicopters and rescue personnel have evacuated more than 23,000 people in the fires that have caused damage to hundreds of structures, including several heritage cultural sites.

Among the sites gutted was the 1,300-year-old Gounsa temple in Uiseong city, where many cultural relics were removed and transported to safer ground.

Dry weather and strong winds have hindered efforts to contain the flames, which have been kept from reaching homes. 

The crisis remains critical and is "rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in our nation's history", said acting president Han Duck-soo.

Many of those who died are in their 60s and 70s and more than 23,000 people have been evacuated, authorities said.

Fuelled by strong and dry winds, the fires are advancing to the neighboring counties of Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok, Yonhap news agency reported.