Cultural treasures are rescued away from the fires in South Korea
The fires that broke out on Friday still ravage mainly in the province of Norra Gyeongsang in eastern South Korea. In total, about 37,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and about half have since returned. Around 2,500 homes are said to have been destroyed in the flames, and many of the dead are older.
On Thursday morning, the authorities were preparing for efforts against the fires, but the strong winds make it difficult for the helicopters. On Wednesday, one of them crashed and the pilot died.
– The situation is complicated. Although we manage to extinguish the fire in an area, the flames often resurrect. It is difficult to know how effective our measures are. We are in desperate need of rain now, says one of the firefighters, according to the BBC.
In the city of Andong are many houses without both electricity and water, and the Yeongdeok region has also been affected after a water purification plant is destroyed in the fires.
The authorities have also struggled to save the country’s cultural treasures and move them out of the path of the fires.
The 1,300-year-old Gounsa temple in Uiseong, which is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, has been destroyed in the fires, but they managed to save the large Buddha statue by draping it in fireproof material. The temple Unrama is also said to have been destroyed.
The fires are believed to have been caused by « human activity », after a very dry and hot spring. An area of 36,000 hectares is estimated to have burned. According to the weather forecasts, cooler weather and rain are now expected.
