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Wildfires in South Korea spread, forcing the evacuation of four local jails

Wildfires broke out in the southeastern part of South Korea on Tuesday. This forced thousands of prisoners to be evacuated from their local prisons, and caused residents to flee.

Han Duck-soo, the acting president of South Korea, has pledged to dispatch firefighting helicopters to fight fires as soon as possible.

A city official and public text alert informed residents of Andong's 150,000-person population to move to safer areas. Hahoe Folk Village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the city. It dates back to 14th-15th centuries.

Officials said that the fire is currently located about 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), from Hahoe.

Authorities declared the counties affected as "special disaster zones".

Due to wildfires, the Ministry of Justice has started transferring approximately 2,600 inmates out of four prisons located in Cheongsong County.

Since Saturday, when fires erupted in various areas, fuelled by dry weather and strong winds, at least four people were killed and hundreds of others forced to leave their homes.

Wildfires have destroyed local landmarks, including ancient Buddhist temples.

Jeung Meung Suk, a Buddhist follower of 55 years, said: "It is heartbreaking and regrettable that this temple has been burnt down, because it is an ancient temple." The temple Unramsa is thousands of years old, with most buildings destroyed.

(source: Reuters)