At least two people have died and hundreds have been evacuated from their homes after forest fires broke out in South Korea today.
Two firefighters were found dead in Sancheong County in the country's southeast, Yonhap news agency reported, citing local officials, while two other people are missing as more fires burn across the country, according to the Korea Forest Service.
At 18:00 p.m. local time, a state of emergency was declared covering the city of Ulsan and the provinces of North and South Gyeongsang in the southeast of the country.
Over 200 residents were forced to flee their homes in eight villages due to the fire in Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok called for the fire to be extinguished by evening, but strong winds made extinguishing difficult on the ground, about 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
More than 400 residents were forced to flee their homes due to the fire in Uiseong County in North Gyeongsang. The Forest Service has issued a fire warning for 12 locations, including the cities of Busan and Daejeon.
