Massive Blaze in Southeastern South Korea Claims 4 Lives, Over 1,500 Rescued

Deadly South Korean Fire: A catastrophic fire tore through the southeastern region of South Korea on March 23, 2025, leaving a trail of destruction that has claimed four lives and tested the resilience of emergency responders who rescued over 1,500 people from the inferno.Disaster officials said that the fire broke out in Sanchong County, about 250 km southeast of Seoul, on Friday and spread to other parts. Five of the 6 injured have suffered serious injuries. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, all the victims were found in Sanchong. Lee Han-kyung, deputy head of the disaster control tower, directed fire officials to mobilize all available resources to immediately control the forest fire.

Forest fires due to dry weather
At the disaster response meeting, Lee said that dry weather has caused forest fires to spread rapidly across wide areas, threatening people's lives. He vowed to make every effort to douse the fire. Firefighters are struggling to put out the blaze, with about 30 helicopters deployed to douse the fire. Officials said the fire in Sancheong was about 30 percent contained as of Sunday morning.