PORTAL RASMI
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
ANDONG: One of South Korea's worst-ever wildfire outbreaks has killed at least 24 people, officials said Wednesday, with multiple raging blazes causing “unprecedented damage“ and threatening two UNESCO-listed sites.
More than a dozen fires broke out over the weekend, scorching wide swathes of the southeast, forcing around 27,000 people to urgently evacuate, with the fire cutting off roads and downing communications lines as residents fled in panic.
The death toll jumped to 24 on Wednesday, as wind-driven flames tore through neighbourhoods and razed an ancient temple.
“Twenty four people are confirmed dead in the wildfires so far,“ with 12 seriously injured, a ministry of interior and safety official told AFP, adding that these were “preliminary figures” and the toll could rise.
Most of those killed were local residents, but at least three firefighters were killed, and a pilot in a firefighting helicopter died when his aircraft crashed in a mountain area, officials said.
According to the interior ministry, the wildfires have charred 17,398 hectares (42,991 acres), with the blaze in Uiseong county alone accounting for 87 percent of the total.
The extent of damage already makes it South Korea's second largest, after the inferno in April 2000 that scorched 23,913 hectares across the east coast.
The government has raised the crisis alert to its highest level and taken the rare step of transferring some inmates out of prisons in the area.
“Wildfires burning for a fifth consecutive day... are causing unprecedented damage,“ South Korea's acting president Han Duck-soo said.
He told an emergency safety and disaster meeting that the blazes were “developing in a way that is exceeding both existing prediction models and earlier expectations.”
“Throughout the night, chaos continued as power and communication lines were cut in several areas and roads were blocked,“ he added.
In the city of Andong, some evacuees sheltering in an elementary school gym told AFP they had to flee so quickly they could bring nothing with them.
“The wind was so strong,“ Kwon So-han, a 79-year-old resident in Andong told AFP, adding that as soon as he got the evacuation order he fled.
“The fire came from the mountain and fell on my house,“ he said. “Those who haven’t experienced it won’t know. I could only bring my body.”
'Most devastating'
Authorities had been using helicopters to battle the blazes, but suspended all such operations after a helicopter crashed Wednesday, killing the pilot on board.
Authorities said changing wind patterns and dry weather had revealed the limitations of conventional firefighting methods.
The fires are “the most devastating” yet in South Korea, acting president Han added.
By Wednesday, two UNESCO-listed sites popular with tourists -- historic Hahoe Folk Village and Byeongsan Seowon -- were under threat.
Authorities said late Wednesday that the fire was just five kilometres away from Hahoe, a village where some houses were covered with thatched roofs.
Firefighters were also on standby at nearby Byeongsan Seowon, known for its pavillion-style ancient academies.
Huge plumes of smoke turned the sky over the village grey and huge chunks of ash floated in the air, AFP reporters saw, with fire trucks spraying water and fire-retardants onto the historic site in a desperate bit to save it.
'Fireballs'
Last year was South Korea's hottest year on record, with the Korea Meteorological Administration saying that the average annual temperature was 14.5 degrees Celsius -- two degrees higher than the preceding 30-year average of 12.5 degrees.
The fire-hit region had been experiencing unusually dry weather with below-average precipitation, authorities have said, with the South experiencing more than double the number of fires this year than last.
Some types of extreme weather have a well-established link with climate change, such as heatwaves or heavy rainfall. Other phenomena, such as forest fires, droughts, snowstorms and tropical storms can result from a combination of complex factors.
“We can’t say that it’s only due to climate change, but climate change is directly (and) indirectly affecting the changes we are experiencing now. This is a sheer fact,“ Yeh Sang-Wook, professor of climatology at Seoul’s Hanyang University, told AFP.
“Wildfires will become more frequent,“ he added.
“As the atmosphere becomes warmer due to climate change, the water vapour in the ground evaporates more easily, so the amount of moisture contained in the ground decreases. So, all this creates the conditions wildfires can occur more frequently.”
The major fire in Uiseong was reportedly caused by a person tending to a family grave who accidentally ignited the blaze. Apple farmer Cho Jae-oak told AFP that he and his wife had sprayed water around their house all day to protect it.
“We kept spraying and guarding it. When the fire was burning on the mountain, fireballs flew here,“ he said, adding that the encroaching flames eventually forced them to leave.
JOHOR BAHRU – Seorang wanita, Norlia Abdul Rashid, 29, berkongsi detik cemas semasa terperangkap di rumahnya di Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Desa Mutiara di sini akibat banjir minggu lalu.
Norlia berkata, dia dan ahli keluarganya terpaksa berkongsi roti untuk mengisi perut ketika waktu berbuka puasa dalam keadaan gelap kerana bekalan elektrik terputus lebih 10 jam.
“Saya cemas apabila terperangkap akibat banjir. Kita tidak tahu berapa lama akan terperangkap. Saya tidak dapat bancuh susu anak dan terpaksa pujuk anak-anak tidur dalam keadaan panas,” katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.
Sementara itu, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat Negeri Johor, Khairin-Nisa Ismail berkata, pihaknya menyalurkan bantuan segera RM300 dan bantuan bulanan persekolahan RM1,000 kepada keluarga tersebut.
Pengurus Besar Pasar raya Econsave, Mas Imran Adam pula berkata, keluarga berkenaan menerima baucar membeli-belah bernilai RM1,000. – KOSMO! ONLINE
No delay in addressing landslide-affected site in Lrg Rantau Panjang Jaya, says SMC chairman
- Admin UKK
- Berita
SIBU (March 26): The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is actively working on solutions to address the landslide-affected site at Lorong Rantau Panjang Jaya, with no delays in rectifying the issue, said its chairman Clarence Ting.
He stated that the council, together with relevant agencies, convened again today to discuss the matter.
In the initial proposal during the previous meeting, it was suggested for sheet piling to be implemented at the affected site.
However, Ting said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has advised that, given the high cost—approximately RM7 million—it would be more practical to build a new house for the affected residents instead.
“Since sheet piling is the most expensive option, costing about RM7 million, the government thinks it is more sensible to build a new house for the affected residents,” he said during today’s meeting.
He further clarified that the landslide was not caused by a design flaw.
“According to SDMC, Jalan Song-Temalat in Kapit division is still vulnerable to landslides even after they have engaged four consultants.
“Hillside development is not as simple as we think. Such an incident has never happened in Sibu,” he said.
The landslide, which struck on Feb 4, displaced 43 victims from 10 families at Lorong Rantau Panjang Jaya 7 and 12.
Since then, they have been staying at the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Kampung Bahagia Jaya Community Hall.
Also present at the meeting were SMC deputy chairman Mohammed Abdullah Izkandar Roseley and SMC secretary Sait Enggang.
KAPIT (March 26): Bukit Goram assemblyman Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat on Monday visited families at Rumah John Raba in Sungai Sesibau here which was badly affected by last week’s floods.
The Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department told a dialogue with the residents that he was unable to return to Kapit to survey the situation as the floods had rendered Jalan Kanowit-Kapit impassable to vehicles
“Tuai Rumah John has requested for funds to purchase a fibre boat and outboard engine for use during floods, and I have agreed to allocate RM10,000 for this purpose.
“I also noticed some of the houses here are flood-damaged and in need of repair. I have instructed by side to compile the relevant information and we will do our best to assist,” he said.
Meanwhile, longhouse chieftain John said the floods started last Thursday and only subsided on Saturday, with the water level over three metres deep.
“Several houses built in the lower-lying areas of the longhouse saw their ground floors fully submerged.
“Those affected either sought shelter with relatives on higher ground, or were evacuated to the Kapit Civic Centre and Bletih Youth Hostel,” he said.
He added that 28 families are residing in the longhouse which is built on higher ground, while 10 are living in houses built in lower-lying areas nearby.
Accompanying Jamit during the visit were Kapit Resident Elvis Didit and district officer Cerisologo Sabut.
MIRI (March 26): Persatuan Belia Miri (PBM) together with Food Aid Sarawak recently distributed 200 food baskets donated by Mubadala Energy to victims of the recent floods here.
The four villages that received the aid were Kampung Wireless, Kampung Pujut Adong, Kampung Pujut Tanjung Batu, and Kampung Pengkalan Lutong.
PBM chairman Matassan Rohani said Mubadala Energy has been actively distributing aid since last year in collaboration with PBM.
“This year, they are extending their assistance to other areas including in Miri, Bintulu and Kuching. Each village received 50 food baskets under this programme,” he said in a statement.
In addition to flood victims, Matassan said aid was also distributed to the Kampung Lereng Bukit landslide victims.