00:00Wildfires raging across South Korea's southeastern regions have become the worst ever recorded,
00:09leaving at least 27 people dead. The government has mobilized thousands of emergency responders
00:15and dozens of helicopters to tackle the blazes, but officials say strong winds are hampering
00:20their efforts. So far, at least 37,000 people were forced to evacuate, and over 300 structures
00:26have been destroyed, including ancient Buddhist temples.
00:31Rain was expected later on Thursday, but the chief of the Korea Forest Service said the
00:35amount likely won't help much. Authorities said the victims were mostly in their 60s
00:40or older, who found it difficult to escape quickly or even refuse to evacuate.
00:46Scientists say the warming atmosphere around the world is driving ever more extreme weather
00:51events, including wildfires, that are killing people and causing billions of dollars in
00:56damage every year.
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