Wildfires In South Korea Kill Atleast 24 People, Thousands Evacuated

South Korea is grappling with its most severe wildfires on record, which have devastated a significant portion of the country's southeastern region over the past five days, resulting in at least 24 confirmed fatalities. By Wednesday morning, approximately 44,000 acres had been burned, with at least 300 buildings destroyed and nearly 30,000 residents forced to evacuate, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

As of Wednesday evening, emergency responders were actively combating at least six ongoing wildfires, including one in the southeastern coastal town of Yeongdeok, where evacuees were sheltered in a local gymnasium.

Among the significant losses was the 1,000-year-old Gowoonsa Buddhist temple, which was destroyed by the flames.

"Damages are escalating," said South Korea's acting President Han Duck-soo. "There are concerns that we are facing wildfire destruction on an unprecedented scale. We must marshal all available resources to contain these fires over the coming days."