South Korea Struggles to Contain Deadly Wildfires

The level of damage would make the fires collectively the third-largest in South Korea's history. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
The level of damage would make the fires collectively the third-largest in South Korea's history. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
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South Korea Struggles to Contain Deadly Wildfires

The level of damage would make the fires collectively the third-largest in South Korea's history. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
The level of damage would make the fires collectively the third-largest in South Korea's history. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

Deadly wildfires in South Korea worsened overnight, officials said Tuesday, as dry, windy weather hampers efforts to contain one of the country's worst-ever fire outbreaks.
More than a dozen different blazes broke out over the weekend, with the safety minister reporting thousands of hectares burned and four people killed, AFP said.
"The wildfires have so far affected approximately 14,694 hectares (36,310 acres), with damage continuing to grow," acting Interior and Safety Minister Ko Ki-dong said.
The extent of damage would make the fires collectively the third-largest in South Korea's history. The largest was an April 2000 blaze that scorched 23,913 hectares (59,090 acres) across the east coast.
More than 3,000 people have been evacuated to shelters, Ko said. At least 11 people have been seriously injured.
"Strong winds, dry weather, and haze are hampering firefighting efforts," Ko told a disaster and safety meeting.
The government is "mobilizing all available resources", he said, and today, "110 helicopters and more than 6,700 personnel will be deployed".
In Uiseong, the sky was full of smoke and haze, AFP reporters saw. Workers at a local temple were attempting to move historical artefacts and cover up Buddhist statues to protect them from possible damage.
The Korea Forest Service said the containment rate for the fire in Uiseong decreased from 60 to 55 percent by Tuesday morning.
More than 6,700 firefighters have been deployed to battle the wildfires, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, with nearly two-fifths of the personnel dispatched to Uiseong.
The government declared a state of emergency in four regions, citing "the extensive damage caused by simultaneous wildfires across the country".
Other phenomena, such as forest fires, droughts, snowstorms and tropical storms can result from a combination of complex factors.



First International Airline Lands at Tehran Airport since Flight Suspension

Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane
Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane
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First International Airline Lands at Tehran Airport since Flight Suspension

Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane
Reuters file photo of an IranAir plane

FlyDubai became the first international carrier to land at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport on Friday at the end of a 20-day suspension of flights that was imposed due to Israeli attacks on Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The arrival of Flight FZ1930 at Iran's biggest airport from the airline's base in the United Arab Emirates marked the start of a gradual return to normal operations in Iranian airspace, IRNA said.

FlyDubai is a low-cost carrier and a sister airline to Emirates.

Local authorities described the landing as a sign of restored stability and effective crisis management in the country's aviation sector, Reuters said. Passenger services were carried out under full safety and security protocols, IRNA reported.

International and domestic air traffic had been halted following Israeli airstrikes and heightened security concerns across Iranian skies.

Iran's airports have reopened for domestic and international flights, except for those in the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, and the country's airspace is also open for international transit flights, state media reported.