South Korea’s worst-ever wildfires have left 24 people dead, destroyed more than 200 structures, and forced 27,000 people to evacuate.
The ‘unprecedented’ blazes have also seen ancient treasures – including a 1,300- year-old Buddhist temple – reduced to smoldering rubble as they continue to tear through the country this morning.
The rising death toll includes a pilot of a helicopter fighting the wildfires who was killed in a crash and four victims who burned to death when their car overturned as they tried to escape, Yonhap news agency reported.
Flames engulfed the Gounsa temple, in the southeastern town of Uiseong, yesterday and about 20 of the temple’s 30 buildings were damaged beyond repair.
Two of its most precious structures were burned to the ground while monks battled to save the remaining relics.
‘I went there this morning and found they’ve been reduced to heaps of ashes,’ said Doryun, a senior monk who lived at the temple when he was younger.
‘I feel really empty. Life is transient.’
Fortunately, Doryun said that monks managed to move the temple’s third ‘treasure,’ a stone Buddha statue reportedly built in the 8th century, to a safe place.
He added: ‘Many buildings were burned down, but we moved and protected other sacred assets so that we maintain the temple. We feel it’s very fortunate.’
Doryun also said about 20 monks and other workers live at the temple, but none have been injured.
So far more than 43,000 acres have been ravaged by the brutal blazes and the damage is said to be ‘snowballing’.
Acting president Han Duck-soo said the crisis remains critical and is ‘rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in our nation’s history’.
The fires started in Sancheong county on Friday afternoon and later spread to Uiseong county, authorities said.
Fuelled by strong and dry winds, they are now spreading to the neighbouring counties of Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok.
The Gounsa temple was reportedly built in the 7th century during the Shilla dynasty that ruled the area and other parts of the Korean Peninsula at the time.
It is nestled at the foot of Deungun Mountain in the southeastern town of Uiseong.
While it doesn’t house buildings constructed in the ancient period, it is home to several famous cultural heritages built later.
The temple was destroyed on Tuesday along with the two revered structures: ‘Gaunru,’ a pavilion-shaped structure built in 1668 overlooking a stream, and ‘Yeonsujeon,’ another traditional structure built in 1904 to mark the longevity of a king.
Both were built during the Joseon dynasty, the last on the Korean Peninsula and were given the status of ‘treasure,’ by the government.
The status is given to old assets with historical and artistic significance that receive state-level protection and maintenance.
The Korea Heritage Service said the temple’s two other lower-level cultural assets, including a stone pagoda, have also been found intact.
Thousands of firefighters and about 5,000 military personnel have been deployed to contain multiple fires, as well as helicopters from the US military stationed in Korea.
On Tuesday, the national fire agency said it had raised the crisis to the highest fire response level, the first time this year such an alert has been issued.
Wildfires are relatively uncommon in South Korea, and related fatalities are rare.
Acting president Han said all available personnel and equipment have been deployed, but strong winds continue to hamper the support efforts.
‘We were desperately hoping for rain today or tomorrow to help extinguish the flames,’ Han added.
‘This level of wildfire damage is unlike anything we’ve experienced before.’
There was no rain forecast for the region on Wednesday and only a small amount – five to 10mm – expected on Thursday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.
Han said the government will thoroughly review all shortcomings in the wildfire response once the crisis is controlled and seek to improve prevention strategies for the future.
‘Once a wildfire starts, extinguishing it requires tremendous resources and puts precious lives in danger,’ he said.