Helicopter crashes during South Korea's 'worst ever fires'

At slightest 18 radical person been killed and 19 injured arsenic South Korea's wildfires proceed to ravage the country's southeast, according to the latest numbers from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The "unprecedented" situation remains critical, according to acting president Han Duck-soo, who said the fires are "rewriting the grounds books for the worst wildfires successful our nation's history".

More than 23,000 radical person been evacuated and respective practice taste sites affected, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple that was destroyed.

A firefighting chopper crashed successful the mountains of Uiseong region conscionable aft midday connected Wednesday, according to authorities, who are investigating the cause.

Thousands of firefighters and astir 5,000 subject unit person been deployed to incorporate aggregate blazes, arsenic good arsenic helicopters from the US subject stationed successful Korea.

On Tuesday, the nationalist occurrence bureau said it had raised the situation to the highest occurrence effect level, the archetypal clip this twelvemonth specified an alert has been issued.

Wildfires are comparatively uncommon successful South Korea, and related fatalities are rare. The existent fires, which person killed 18 radical wrong the past fewer days, are already the deadliest successful the country's history.

About 17,000 hectares of wood person besides been destroyed, making the fires the 3rd largest successful South Korea's past successful presumption of area.

The blazes raging successful the metropolis of Uiseong burned down the Gounsa Temple, built successful 618 AD, which was 1 of the largest temples successful the province.

A Buddhist architectural operation deemed a nationalist treasure from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was besides destroyed, forestry authorities confirmed.

Acting president Han said each disposable unit and instrumentality person been deployed, but beardown winds proceed to hamper the enactment efforts.

"We were desperately hoping for rainfall contiguous oregon time to assistance extinguish the flames," Han added.

"This level of wildfire harm is dissimilar thing we've experienced before."

There was nary rainfall forecast for the portion connected Wednesday and lone a tiny magnitude - 5 to 10mm - expected connected Thursday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Han said the authorities volition thoroughly reappraisal each shortcomings successful the wildfire effect erstwhile the situation is controlled and question to amended prevention strategies for the future.

"Once a wildfire starts, extinguishing it requires tremendous resources and puts precious lives successful danger," helium said.

South Korea has been experiencing drier than mean conditions with little rainfall than average. There person already been 244 wildfires this twelvemonth - 2.4 times much than the aforesaid play past year.

The authorities besides promised to fortify enforcement against amerciable burning -one of the main causes of wildfires - and ace down connected idiosyncratic carelessness.

The wildfires archetypal broke retired past Friday successful Sancheong County, successful the country's southeast, but person present dispersed to neighbouring cities of Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok.