Firefighters continued to battle wildfires in South Korea's southeastern region for a fourth consecutive day as authorities deployed dozens of helicopters in an attempt to prevent them from spreading.
The deadly wildfires, which have engulfed Sancheong County, have spread to adjacent Hadong County Monday, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported, citing government officials.
At least four people have died, six have been injured, and around 1,500 residents have been evacuated due to wildfires sweeping through South Korea’s southeastern region, according to local media reports on Sunday.
The fire, which started in Sancheong County on Friday, has since spread to three other areas, the Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.
All the victims were found in Sancheong, of which five were in serious condition.
Some 36 helicopters were deployed to two counties in South Gyeongsang province, about 250 kilometres southeast of Seoul, beginning Monday morning to contain the wildfires, which have already killed four people.
More than 2,300 firefighters and soldiers were deployed on the ground to prevent the forest fires from spreading to houses and facilities, the government said.
Officials said firefighters had contained 70 percent of the wildfires in Sancheong as of Monday morning.
Japan
Authorities in two western prefectures of Japan also ordered thousands of people to evacuate as wildfires spread Monday despite firefighting efforts through the night.
The local governments ordered around 2,800 residents to leave their homes as military helicopters joined firefighters to contain the blazes at the request of the governments of Okayama and Ehime, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.
Footage aired on public broadcaster NHK showed a Self-Defense Forces helicopter dumping water on an affected forested area as giant plumes of black smoke shot into the sky.
The fire, which broke out Sunday in Okayama, burnt a total of 250 hectares of land in the cities of Okayama and Tamano, while the blaze in Ehime had engulfed 119 hectares in the city of Imabari by Monday.
Several houses have been burnt down in Okayama, according to local authorities.
