South Korea's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on Wednesday in its latest update that, according to preliminary data, 24 people are believed to have died in the wildfires that have been spreading across the country's southeastern region.
The authorities warned that the number of casualties is likely to rise further, adding that while 12 individuals sustained serious injuries, 14 have minor wounds.
During a firefighting operation, one of the helicopters that was trying to put down the fire in Uiseong crashed, killing the pilot. The fire started on March 21, spreading quickly and forcing thousands of South Korean citizens to evacuate.
