"To Save Neighbors"... Tragedy Strikes Family of Village Chief in Yeongyang-gun Who Opposed Shelter

Village Head’s Family Returns to Fire-Stricken Village
Car Overturned in Samui Valley... Found Dead

On the 26th, a vehicle burned in the wildfire that occurred the previous day is preserved in Samui Valley, Samui-ri, Seokbo-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk Province. Three people who died while evacuating from the wildfire were found near this vehicle. Photo by Yonhap News

“Attention residents. Please evacuate immediately.”

Testimony has emerged that the head of Sam-ui-ri village in Seokbo-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk, and his family died after returning to the village engulfed in flames to evacuate trapped residents.

According to Yonhap News on the 26th, around 6 p.m. the previous day, wireless communication began to be cut off in Hwamae-ri and Sam-ui-ri villages in Seokbo-myeon, Yeongyang-gun. In response, the head of Hwamae-ri sent a voice message to the mobile phones of 46 households, saying, “Leave your house immediately and evacuate to Seokbo Elementary School,” and “The entire village is on fire, and houses will catch fire soon.”

At that time, the head of Sam-ui-ri and his spouse were on their way to rescue his sister-in-law living in Hwamae-ri. After rescuing her and putting her in the car, the head of Sam-ui-ri headed toward Sam-ui-ri, where flames were rising. This direction was the exact opposite of Seokbo Elementary School, which was designated as the evacuation site for the large wildfire in Uiseong. The road from Hwamae-ri to Sam-ui-ri was carrying embers blown by valley winds from the valley to the mountaintop.

A wildfire that started in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk is spreading beyond Andong and Cheongsong to Yeongyang and Yeongdeok. Yonhap News

Later, around 8 p.m., the head of Sam-ui-ri and his family were found dead in a drainage ditch beside the road. A burnt-out car was also found nearby. There is speculation that the head of Sam-ui-ri and his family, who headed in the opposite direction of the evacuation site, may have died trying to rescue residents trapped in the flames. A Seokbo-myeon office official expressed regret, saying, “It seems they were returning to evacuate Sam-ui-ri residents as well,” and “Since communication started to be cut off, it is presumed they tried to check the village directly.”

The wildfire that started in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk, has spread to four neighboring cities and counties, expanding to an extent that the affected area cannot be estimated. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of 9 a.m. on the 26th, the total number of deaths caused by the wildfire in Gyeongbuk is 18. The police stated, “The main age group of the victims is in their 60s and 70s, and it appears they could not evacuate due to traffic accidents or were unable to escape as the fire spread rapidly,” but added, “Since the investigation is ongoing, it is difficult to provide specific details about the circumstances of the accidents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.