S. Korea: Nationwide donations for wildfire relief efforts top 84 bln won
Nationwide donations for wildfire relief efforts have surpassed 84 billion won (US$57.5 million) as South Korea continues to recover from its worst wildfire disaster, the government said Wednesday, Yonhap reports.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, a total of 84.12 billion won had been donated to local charity organizations, including the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, as of 5 p.m.
The funds are being used to support relief and recovery efforts for residents affected by recent wildfires in the country's southeastern region.
The wildfires, which broke out on March 21 in the county of Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, and the following day in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, have been recorded as South Korea's worst ever, resulting in 75 casualties, including 31 deaths.
The disaster scorched an estimated 48,000 hectares of land in 11 regions, destroying more than 4,000 homes, 32 cultural heritage sites and around 2,000 agricultural facilities.
As reported, police, firefighters and relevant authorities on Monday conducted their first joint on-site investigation at the original point of ignition for the nation's worst wildfires in history that charred vast areas of woodland in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang last week.
