Central Disaster and Safety Headquarters Reports as of 4 p.m. on the 27th
Death Toll Surpasses 26 in 1989, Marking the Highest on Record
The death toll from the large-scale wildfires that have been ongoing since the 21st has risen to 27. It is expected to be recorded as the wildfire with the highest number of deaths since the Korea Forest Service began compiling statistics.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 27th, as of 4 p.m. that day, the number of deaths caused by the wildfires was 27, and the number of injured was 32, an increase of one death compared to the count at noon. Four people died in the wildfire in Sancheong, Gyeongnam, and 23 in the wildfire in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk. The injured include 9 from the Sancheong wildfire, 21 from the Uiseong wildfire, and 2 from the Onyang wildfire in Ulju, Ulsan.
With the death toll from this wildfire reaching 27, it has surpassed the previous highest annual wildfire death record of 26 in 1989. It is truly a 'record-breaking monster wildfire.'
Earlier that morning, a wildfire monitor in his 60s was found dead in a vehicle burned by fire in Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk. It is known that after being dispatched to the wildfire suppression site on the 25th, contact was lost, and the family reported him missing to the police. It is presumed that he was engulfed by flames on the road while returning home after the suppression work.
As the wildfire spread, Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo additionally declared Andong-si, Cheongsong-gun, Yeongyang-gun, and Yeongdeok-gun in Gyeongbuk as special disaster areas that day. This was to enable swift government-level recovery and victim support in these areas due to large-scale forest loss and the occurrence of disaster victims, as well as the growing wildfire damage. On the 22nd, Sancheong was declared a special disaster area, and on the 24th, Ulju, Uiseong, and Hadong-gun were declared as such.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will operate 'Central Joint Support Centers' in Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam starting from the 27th. There are two support centers by region for Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam. The Gyeongbuk Joint Support Center, set up at Andong Gymnasium, covers Andong-si, Uiseong-gun, Cheongsong-gun, Yeongyang-gun, and Yeongdeok-gun. The Gyeongnam Joint Support Center, located at the Sicheon Gateball Court in Deoksan Sports Park, Sancheong-gun, is responsible for Sancheong-gun, Hadong-gun, Jinju-si, Gimhae-si, and Ulju-gun.
The support centers provide guidance and accept applications for wildfire damage support, including ▲ funeral support ▲ medical and psychological support ▲ temporary housing and relief supplies support ▲ emergency restoration of communication, electricity, and gas ▲ legal, financial, and insurance counseling.
Additionally, wildfire damage field support teams will be dispatched to the Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam regions. They will operate until the wildfire spread subsides and support the stabilization of disaster victims' lives. The field support teams will assess the status of necessary relief supplies and provide support, as well as identify difficulties faced by local governments and promptly address supportable matters.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety also sent official letters to local governments nationwide, requesting active cooperation in providing volunteer manpower and relief supplies.
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