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SEOUL, April 11 (AP) Hundreds of South Koreans were forced to flee a wildfire sparked by strong winds that burned parts of the eastern seaboard city on Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes.
More than 700 firefighters and more than 300 vehicles have been dispatched to extinguish the fire on a mountain in central Gangneung, according to Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae and the Ministry of Interior and Security.
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At least 44 homes were destroyed and more than 300 residents were evacuated to facilities including an ice rink and a middle school gym. According to the ministry, there have been no reports of casualties.
It was not immediately clear how long it would take firefighters to get the blaze under control, as high winds made it difficult to deploy aircraft. Kim said in a televised briefing that firefighters were building barriers while focusing on preventing the fire from spreading to more populated areas of Gangneung.
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Photos showed firefighters spraying water on burning homes and buildings as an orange blaze engulfed a pine forest near a seaside resort hotel.
South Korean President Yoon Hek-yeol directed officials to deploy “all available equipment and personnel” to quickly extinguish wildfires and evacuate residents to prevent casualties. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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