Seoul, April 11 (BNA): About 300 people have been evacuated from their homes in the eastern port city of Gangneung, South Korea, where strong winds and dry weather fanned wildfires, officials said.
Officials said firefighters were struggling to control the blaze, which started around 8:30 a.m. local time (2330 GMT Monday) in Gangneung, as planes were unable to take off due to winds.
The governor of Gangwon Province, Kim Jin Tae, said the fire had consumed more than 170 hectares (420 acres) of land and prompted the evacuation of about 300 residents in the city of more than 200,000 people as of 1 p.m. Reuters reported that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Kim said the fire appeared to have started after strong winds blew a tree over overhead power cables, starting the flames.
South Korean President Yoon Sok-yol’s office said officials had ordered all available resources to be mobilized to put out the fire as quickly as possible and nearby residents to be quickly evacuated to minimize casualties.
WWA