At least 18 people have died and 19 have been injured in fires in southeastern South Korea, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security.

The fires have forced the evacuation of over 23,000 people and destroyed several cultural monuments, including the 1,300-year-old Gounsa Buddhist temple.

A firefighting helicopter crashed in the Uiseong mountains on Wednesday, as thousands of firefighters and about 5,000 soldiers are battling the flames, reports with the BBC.

This is the deadliest fire in the country's history, burning about 17,000 hectares of forest. Strong winds are hampering efforts to extinguish it, while expected rainfall is scarce, reports KosovaPress.