Fire Outbreak

[Anchor Lead]

A fire broke out on a mountain in Goseong-gun County, Gangwon-do Province in the evening of April fourth. An electric transformer exploded and caused the fire. The flames quickly spread due to gusty winds, and engulfed houses and even buses running on nearby roads.

[Pkg]

What started out as a forest fire turned into a massive blaze due to the windy weather. Homes near the mountain crumpled into ashes in no time. Guest houses, commercial stores and other facilities were also destroyed. Only the frames remain. A bus traveling on the road also couldn't escape the threatening flames and completely burnt down. Vehicles are literally trapped on the road for hours, causing nothing short of a pandemonium. Areas near National Highway No. 7 which connects Sokcho to Goseong are also utterly devastated. A large one ton truck is turned over by the winds on the side of a four-lane road. Gusty winds are further spreading the blaze, paralyzing numerous sections of roads.

[Soundbite] Lee Jong-seok (Bus Driver) : "The buses that ended their shifts were parked and the drivers went home, after which they were asked to quickly move the buses. But they can't go near the buses because of the fire."

The massive fire coupled with the dry weather and winds blowing at 20 meters per second has destroyed as least 100 homes in Sokcho and Goseong alone.