Korea wildfire death toll rises to 26

Korea

Wind-fuelled wildfires that ravaged the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang in Korea have killed at least 26 and injured another 30, as the nation is battling the worst-ever forest fires, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Some 36,000 hectares of woodland had been burned, officials said. It is nearly 13,000 hectares more than the 23,794 hectares damaged by the east coast wildfires in 2000, which were the worst in national history.

About 37,000 have been displaced, including 29,911 in the Uiseong and Andong areas in North Gyeongsang Province.