South Korea struggles to contain wildfires that have killed 28
Cheongsong (South Korea), Mar 27 (AP): Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea on Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 28 people, forced at least 37,800 to flee their homes and destroyed thousands of structures and vehicles.
Multiple wildfires fuelled by strong winds and dry weather have been raging across South Korea's southeastern regions since last Friday. The government has mobilized thousands of personnel, dozens of helicopters and other equipment to extinguish the blazes, but gusty winds are hampering their efforts.
Rain was expected later Thursday. But Korea Forest Service chief Lim Sang-seop said the amount — less than 5 millimetres is forecast — likely won't help much in extinguishing the wildfires.
The fatalities include a pilot whose helicopter crashed during efforts to contain a fire Wednesday and four firefighters and other workers who died earlier after being trapped by fast-moving flames.
Authorities haven't disclosed details of the civilian dead, except that they are mostly in their 60s or older who found it difficult to escape quickly or who even refused orders to evacuate.
They suspect human error caused several of the wildfires, including cases where people started fires while clearing overgrown grass from family tombs or with sparks during welding work.
Lee Han-kyung, deputy head of the government's disaster response center, told a meeting Thursday that the wildfires showed “the reality of climate crisis that we have yet experienced,” according to Yonhap news agency. Calls to his centre were unanswered.
Scientists say the warming atmosphere around the world is driving ever more extreme weather events, including wildfires, flooding, droughts, hurricanes and heat waves that are killing people and causing billions of dollars in damage every year.
The wildfires have burned 38,665 hectares of land, the disaster response center said Thursday. Observers say that's the worst figure of its kind in South Korea. The centre said the blazes have also injured 32 people and forced more than 37,800 people to evacuate. More than 2,600 structures, including homes, factories and other buildings, as well as vehicles, were damaged or destroyed.
As of Thursday morning, the centre said authorities were mobilizing more than 9,000 people and about 120 helicopters to battle the wildfires.
In Cheongsong, one of the fire-hit areas, thick plumes of smoke were bellowing from Juwang Mountain on Thursday morning. Helicopters repeatedly hovered over the mountain, dropping water. The amount of smoke later appeared to have diminished.
At a Buddhist temple near the mountain, workers covered a stone pagoda and other structures with fire-resistant materials, while firefighters poured water on sites near the temple.
The hardest-hit areas include Andong city and the neighbouring counties of Uiseong and Sancheong, and the city of Ulsan.
On Wednesday night, strong winds and smoke-filled skies forced authorities in the southeastern city of Andong to order evacuations in two villages, including Puncheon, home to the Hahoe folk village — a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded around the 14th-15th century. Hikers were advised to leave the scenic Jiri Mountain as another fire spread closer.
The fires in the past week have destroyed houses, factories and some historic structures. In Uiseong, about 20 of the 30 structures at the Gounsa temple complex, which was said to be originally built in the 7th century, have burned.
Among them were two state-designated “treasures” — a pavilion-shaped building erected overlooking a stream in 1668, and a Joseon dynasty structure built in 1904 to mark the longevity of a king.
The Korea Forest Service wildfire warning is at its highest level, requiring local governments to assign more workers to emergency response, tighten entry restrictions for forests and parks, and recommend that military units withhold live-fire exercises.
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Kannada actress Ranya Rao, jeweller linked to Rs 40 cr gold smuggling: DRI
Bengaluru, Apr 03 (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said jeweller Sahil Sakariya Jain played a key role in assisting Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya, also known as Ranya Rao, in disposing of 49.6 kg of smuggled gold worth ₹40.14 crore.
According to the DRI’s remand note, Jain not only helped facilitate the illegal transaction but also abetted Ranya in hawala money transfers linked to the smuggling operation.
Jain, a jeweller by profession, was arrested on March 26 for assisting Ranya in the gold smuggling case.
He has been remanded to judicial custody until April 7.
Jain not only helped Ranya in allegedly disposing of the gold but also appeared to have facilitated Hawala money transactions.
"It appears that he assisted and abetted Accused No. 1 in disposing of approximately 49.6 kg of gold worth ₹40,13,59,374. He has also admitted to aiding A1 in transferring Hawala money amounting to around ₹38,39,97,000 to Dubai and ₹1,73,61,787 to A1 in Bengaluru," the DRI stated.
The agency further noted that the unaccounted cash of ₹2.67 crore seized from Ranya’s residence on March 4, as per the ‘Mahazar’ , was likely Hawala money she received as profit from purchasing gold in Dubai and selling it in Bengaluru.
The DRI added that Jain admitted to receiving a commission of ₹55,000 for each transaction.
"The voluminous evidence extracted from two mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Sahil Sakariya Jain further establishes his role in the smuggling of large quantities of gold into India by A1 ," the DRI stated.
According to the agency, in January 2025, Jain helped Ranya dispose of 14.568 kg of gold worth ₹11.56 crore and facilitated the transfer of ₹11.01 crore in Hawala transactions to Dubai.
Additionally, he admitted to transferring ₹55 lakh in Bengaluru.
In February, Jain allegedly assisted Ranya in disposing of 13.433 kg of gold worth ₹11.81 crore.
During the same month, he helped transfer ₹11.25 crore in Hawala funds to Dubai and ₹55.81 lakh to Ranya in Bengaluru.
Ranya, the stepdaughter of a DGP-rank officer in Karnataka, was arrested on March 3, shortly after returning from Dubai at Kempegowda International Airport.
The DRI officials seized 14.7 kg of gold from her possession.
