Helicopter pilot among dead as South Korea battles wildfires

The wreckage of a crashed firefighting helicopter is seen at a mountain in Uiseong, South Korea (Son Hyung-joo/AP)

Wind-driven wildfires that were among South Korea’s worst ever were ravaging the country’s southern regions, killing 24 people, destroying more than 200 structures and forcing 27,000 residents to evacuate, officials said.

The death toll included a pilot who died after a helicopter crashed during efforts to contain wildfires in the southeastern town of Uiseong, one of the hardest-hit areas.