WRAP: South Korea wildfires kill at least 24, pilot killed as firefighting helicopter crashes

Record ID: 1986076

  • Title: WRAP: South Korea wildfires kill at least 24, pilot killed as firefighting helicopter crashes
  • Date: 26th March 2025
  • Summary: Emergency services and investigators surveyed the charred remains of a helicopter that crashed while fighting forest fires in South Korea’s southeastern Uiseong county, killing its pilot, Yonhap reported. (1690-SOUTHKOREA-FIRE/CRASH) UISEONG, SOUTH KOREA (MARCH 26, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INVESTIGATORS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES STANDING IN FRONT OF HELICOPTER CRASH SITE A
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: South Korea climate change evacuation fire smoke
  • Location: VARIOUS, SOUTH KOREA
  • City: VARIOUS, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Disaster/Accidents,Wildfires/Forest Fires
  • Reuters ID: LVA005181226032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS NO NEW MATERIAL. EDIT NUMBERS USED IN THIS WRAP INCLUDED IN THE SHOTLIST.
    The death toll in the wildfires raging across South Korea's southeastern region rose to 24 on Wednesday (March 26) and the pilot of a firefighting helicopter was killed when the aircraft crashed on Wednesday, as the country battles some of its worst forest fires in decades.
    The deadly wildfires have spread rapidly and forced more than 27,000 people from their homes, the government said. The blazes, fueled by strong winds and dry weather, have razed entire neighborhoods, closed schools and forced authorities to transfer hundreds of inmates from prisons.
    "We are deploying all available personnel and equipment in response to the worst wildfires ever but the situation is not good," Acting President Han Duck-soo said, adding that the U.S. military in Korea was also assisting.
    The Korea Forest Service said 24 people had been confirmed dead in the fires. It did not give a breakdown, but earlier the Safety Ministry said 14 people had died in Uiseong county, and four other deaths were linked to a blaze in Sancheong county,
    The Forest Service also said one of its fire-fighting helicopters crashed while trying to extinguish a blaze and the pilot was killed.
    South Korea relies on helicopters to tackle forest fires because of its mountainous terrain and the incident led to the brief grounding of the fleet.
    The Korea Forest Service has been facing technical issues with its fleet of 48 Russian helicopters. Eight have been out of operation since last year because sanctions related to the Ukraine war mean it cannot import parts, a Democratic Party lawmaker said in October.
    On Wednesday, an eyewitness said the Forest Service helicopter started making a strange sound before plunging to the ground.
    "It completely exploded and I couldn’t even tell which parts were the propellers," Kim Jin-han, 63, told Reuters.
    Climate change is projected to make wildfires more frequent globally, Lee said, citing the unusual timing of wildfires that ravaged part of Los Angeles in January and a recent wildfire in northeast Japan.
    The blazes broke out on Saturday and were threatening several UNESCO World Heritage sites - Hahoe Village and the Byeongsan Confucian Academy - in Andong city on Wednesday, a city official said, as authorities sprayed fire retardants to try to protect them.
    (Production: Amy McConaghy)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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