International

Helicopter Crash Kills Pilot Amid South Korea’s Raging Wildfires

Published

3 days ago

Mar 26, 2025.

Helicopter crashes while battling wildfires, killing the pilot.
At least 18 dead as South Korea faces one of its worst wildfire crises.
Authorities evacuate historic artifacts to protect cultural sites.

A helicopter battling deadly wildfires in South Korea crashed on Wednesday, killing the pilot, as emergency responders struggled to contain the blazes ravaging parts of the country.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the aircraft went down in a mountainous area of Uiseong County while engaged in firefighting operations, according to the Gyeongbuk Fire Service.

“We have been told that there was one pilot who was declared dead at the scene,” an official confirmed to AFP.

The tragedy occurred as South Korea faced one of its worst wildfire outbreaks in history. At least 18 people have been killed so far, with Acting President Han Duck-soo describing the situation as causing “unprecedented damage” across the nation.

Firefighters have been working around the clock to battle the infernos, which have consumed vast swathes of land, including areas near temples and other cultural landmarks. At Bongjeong Temple in Andong, a UNESCO-listed site, emergency teams scrambled to evacuate priceless Buddha statues and other artifacts to prevent their destruction.

Footage showed firefighters carefully loading the statues onto a trailer, securing them for transport away from the advancing flames.

Helicopter Crash Kills Pilot

Efforts to contain the wildfires remain ongoing as authorities race to prevent further loss of life and damage to South Korea’s cultural heritage.