"Joint Preliminary Damage Investigation to Be Completed by Tomorrow"
One critically injured person receiving treatment has died due to the large-scale wildfires in Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam, bringing the total death toll to 31. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) plans to focus all efforts on residential and recovery support as well as agricultural-related assistance.
On the 2nd, Lee Han-kyung, Deputy Head of the CDSCH, held a meeting on wildfire response for Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Ulsan, stating, "Yesterday, one person who had been receiving treatment for full-body burns caused by this rapid wildfire has unfortunately passed away."
Accordingly, the total number of deaths from the wildfire incident has risen to 31. There are 8 critically injured and 36 with minor injuries, making the total number of casualties 75.
Lee also stated, "To ensure swift recovery, the preliminary investigation by the Central Disaster Damage Joint Investigation team is scheduled to be completed by tomorrow." The government-wide Recovery Support Headquarters, which began operations on the 1st, will establish a comprehensive recovery plan including housing measures for disaster victims.
As dry weather warnings and strong winds continue, the Korea Forest Service has decided to intensively crack down on smoking, carrying fire sources, or flammable materials in forests until May 31 to prevent wildfires.
The Central Joint Support Center has received and addressed a total of 648 inquiries by the 1st regarding facility and housing recovery, agricultural damage, and electricity bill reductions. Lee said, "With the farming season approaching, we have arranged free rental of agricultural machinery and formed repair volunteer teams to support disaster victims in resuming farming. For livestock farmers affected by the wildfire, we will urgently demolish livestock facilities at risk of collapse and simultaneously provide free feed support and prioritize fund allocation."
He added, "For businesses damaged by the wildfire in industrial complexes, we will ensure there are no disadvantages related to deadlines or deposit refunds, and support business stabilization through expedited public procurement contracts."
Lee also said, "To ensure agricultural disaster insurance payments are made promptly, damage assessment personnel will be deployed on-site, and insurance payments will be advanced even before the final decision is made."
On the housing front, emergency support procedures utilizing public rental housing have been initiated. The special lease rental housing system will also be utilized. As of today, 3,278 disaster victims are living in temporary shelters. Lee stated, "To provide permanent housing environments for disaster victims, we will discuss with relevant agencies the plan to prioritize the remaining quota of rural housing improvement projects in the Gyeongsang region."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
