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South Korea firefighters deploy helicopters as wildfires reignite / Photo: © AFP
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South Korea firefighters deploy helicopters as wildfires reignite
South Korean firefighters deployed helicopters Saturday as the country's biggest wildfires on record that ravaged wide areas of its southeast reignited in one of the region's cities, an official said.
More than a dozen fires have been fanned by high winds and dry conditions, killing 29 people and injuring dozens more in southeastern regions, according to government data.
Fires were whipped up again early Saturday in Andong, a city in the worst-hit North Gyeongsang province, forcing authorities to deploy eight helicopters to the area, an official from the Korea Forest Service told AFP.
It came a day after the main fire in the province, where 25 of the 29 victims have died, was extinguished.
"It seems that the remaining embers have flared up a bit," said the official.
"We plan to deploy more helicopters to the area in Andong."
The fires there began on Saturday last week and rolled on for days.
More than 2,900 homes in the region have been completely destroyed, according to the latest figures.
An official said this week that more than 35,000 hectares (86,500 acres) of forest have been burned.
The fire also destroyed several historic sites, including the Gounsa temple complex in the southeastern city of Uiseong, which is believed to have been originally built in the 7th century.
The extent of the damage makes it South Korea's largest-ever wildfire.
Most of the victims in the region were elderly, according to the Korea Forest Service.
Those killed include a pilot in his 70s whose helicopter crashed Wednesday while he was trying to contain a fire.
A. de Almeida--JDB
