One dead and hundreds evacuated after wildfire in South Korean city

The fire destroyed about 70 homes (You Hyung-jae/Yonhap via AP)

A wildfire fuelled by strong winds has destroyed homes in a seaside city on South Korea’s eastern coast, killing at least one person and forcing hundreds to flee.

It took eight hours and nearly 3,000 firefighters to put out the blaze that started on a mountain in a central part of Gangneung at around 8.30 am local time on Tuesday. The blaze destroyed around 70 homes and other buildings.