At least 16 dead and 19 hurt as wildfires ravage South Korea’s southern regions

A Korea Forest Service helicopter dumps fire retardant on a wildfire in Uiseong, South Korea (Yoon Gwan-shick/Yonhap via AP)

At least 16 people died and another 19 were injured after wildfires ravaged South Korea’s southern regions amid dry weather and strong winds, government officials said.

Officials in Andong city and other south-eastern cities and towns ordered residents to evacuate on Tuesday as firefighters struggled to contain multiple blazes fuelled by dry winds, which burned more than 43,000 acres of land and destroyed hundreds of structures, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple.