Gounsa Temple Completely Destroyed...
National Heritage Disaster Alert at 'Severe' Level
About 2,600 Prison Inmates Transferred
The wildfire that started in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk and has been spreading for four days has expanded past Andong to Cheongsong Juwangsan National Park, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok. As a result, nearby residents, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and prisons are in a state of emergency, and firefighting authorities have raised the wildfire response level in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk to level 3.
A fire caused by embers carried by strong winds from a wildfire in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk, occurred on the fourth day of the wildfire on the 25th in Hawha 1-ri, Danchon-myeon, Uiseong-gun. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 25th, forestry authorities announced that embers had spread to Juwangsan National Park in Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongbuk, Seokbo-myeon in Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk, and Jipum-myeon in Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk. The times of ignition by area were confirmed as around 6:20 PM at Cheongsong Juwangsan National Park, 5:40 PM at Yeongyang Seokbo, and 6:40 PM at Yeongdeok Jipum.
The fierce flames burning Cheongsong spread to Yeongyang Seokbo-myeon and Yeongdeok Jipum-myeon due to strong winds. Yeongyang-gun issued an evacuation order at around 6:47 PM for residents of Seokbo-myeon to evacuate to the Yeongyang-eup Community Center. Yeongdeok-gun sent a disaster safety text message at 7:09 PM stating, "Local Road 911, section from Hwangjang-ri in Jipum-myeon to Hwamae-ri in Seokbo-myeon is under traffic control," and requested "Please refrain from passing through."
Due to the wildfire, water supply facilities were damaged, causing a water outage starting from 7:30 PM that day.
Train services running between Andong and Gyeongju were also suspended.
On the same day, firefighting authorities announced that they would raise the emergency firefighting response level from level 2 to level 3. Among levels 1, 2, and 3, level 3 mobilizes all available firefighting personnel and equipment nationwide and is issued when large-scale disaster damage is expected.
On the 25th, the fourth day since the wildfire broke out in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk, the Choi Chi-won Literature Museum near the entrance of Gounsa Temple in Uiseong-gun is being completely burned down. Photo by Yonhap News
The Cultural Heritage Administration also issued a nationwide national heritage disaster crisis alert at the "Severe" level at around 5:30 PM that day. The alert levels are divided into Interest, Caution, Warning, and Severe, and this is the first time the Severe level has been issued. Due to this wildfire, Manhyujeong, Yongdamsa, and Mukgye Seowon in Andong are at risk of destruction. Andong Hahoe Village and Byeongsan Seowon, representative cultural heritages of South Korea, are threatened by the wildfire. Gounsa Temple, the head temple of the 16th district of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Danchon-myeon, Uiseong-gun, was completely destroyed.
Correctional authorities have decided to transfer about 2,600 inmates incarcerated at the Northern Gyeongbuk Prison. The transfer of about 800 inmates at Andong Prison in Pungsan-eup, Andong is also under consideration.
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