The South Korean government declared on Friday a state of national disaster in wake of massive wildfires in the northeastern Gangwon province, local media reported, citing an unnamed official from the Ministry of Interior and Safety
TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th April, 2019) The South Korean government declared on Friday a state of national disaster in wake of massive wildfires in the northeastern Gangwon province, local media reported, citing an unnamed official from the Ministry of Interior and Safety.
The authorities have described the damage inflicted by the wildfires as "unprecedented," since one person was killed, 11 more injured and over 4,200 people evacuated over the blaze, which has burnt 385 hectares of forest and destroyed at least 300 buildings.
"The government will also decide whether to designate the affected areas as special disaster zones after examining the extent of the damage," the official told the Yonhap news agency,
The blaze started on a mountain in the Goseong county late on Thursday and then spread to nearby areas, including the counties of Inje and Sokcho and the cities of Gangneung and Donghae.
Following an order by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, over 870 firetrucks have been dispatched to the affected areas, and around 13,000 rescue officials have been deployed there.
According to the preliminary data of the investigation, the fire started from a transformer spark.
