25.03.30.Today News : 50 suspects in ‘wildfires’ arrested / 3 killed and 6 injured in reverse running accident

1. 50 suspects in ‘wildfires’ arrested

Fifty suspects in the ‘Gyeongbuk wildfire’ that spread to five counties in North Gyeongsang Province and killed 26 people have been detained.

On the 30th, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency's criminal riot squad said that A (56), who is suspected of starting a fire (violation of the Forest Protection Act) while clearing out his grandparents' mausoleum in a mountain in Gongsan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, Uisung-gun, Gyeongbuk, was taken into custody. It has been eight days since the fire broke out at 11:24 a.m. on the 22nd.

Initially, A was reported to have called 119 directly, but the first caller was identified as A's daughter. The daughter, who called the dispatch centre, reportedly said, ‘There's a fire and the oxygen is burning out,’ and ‘I'm here with my dad.’

The police found that Mr A, his wife, and daughter were present at the scene. During the basic fact-finding process, A's daughter reportedly told the Anpyeong police station commander that she tried to cut down the tree (in Bongbun), but it didn't work, so when she tried to burn it with a lighter, the wind blew and a forest fire broke out. However, A is currently denying the allegations.

The police forensic investigation division completed preservation measures at the scene on the 29th. The police will coordinate with the National Institute of Science and Forestry, the National Forensic Investigation Agency, and fire authorities to conduct a joint forensic examination as early as next week.

The wildfire spread beyond Uijeongseong to Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok due to dry air, high temperatures, and strong winds, killing 26 people, including helicopter pilots, forest fire monitors, and residents.

Damage to cultural heritage and homes is also severe. Goyunsa Temple in Uisung, which was built during the reign of King Silla and boasts a history of around 1,300 years, was burnt to the ground, and Andong Gilan-yeon Yakgyejeong, a pavilion built in the late Joseon Dynasty, was reduced to ashes. In Cheongsong, Gigok Jasa, a Gyeongbuk folk cultural heritage site, and Byeongbo Jasa, a cultural heritage site, were burned to the ground. Jasa is a house built to protect ancestors' mausoleums and keep the tense.

Many residents have lost their homes. In rural areas adjacent to the mountains, entire villages have been reduced to ruins. It is estimated that more than 4,000 tangible cultural relics, houses and factories have been burned. The area affected by the forest fires is 45,157 hectares, which is 156 times the size of Yeouido.

However, on the 22nd, when the forest fires broke out, Uisung received two separate reports of forest fires in Gongsan-ri, Anpyeong-myeon, and Cheong-ro-ri, Geumsung-myeon. The forestry authorities said that the two forest fires were separate from the Anpyeong-myeon Goseongsan-ri forest fire, and further investigation is needed. The Cheongrori-ri wildfire in Geumseong-myeon was reported at 1:57 p.m. on the 22nd, while the Yongdori wildfire in Andeong-myeon was reported at 2:46 p.m. on the 22nd.

‘We will call the suspects after completing the basic factual investigation,’ said a police official.

One-line summary : A man in his 50s suspected of starting a fire while clearing out his grandparents' mausoleum has been detained in connection with a large wildfire in North Gyeongsang Province that killed 26 people, and police are conducting further investigations.

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2. 3 killed and 6 injured in reverse running accident

Three people were killed and six others were injured in a quadruple car accident caused by reverse running in the city centre of Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do.

At around 12:45 p.m. on the 30th, a Sonata car driven by A (72-year-old woman) crossed the centre line at a three-way intersection in front of Cheongju Education University in Sugok-dong, Seowon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, and hit a morning car waiting for a left turn signal from the opposite direction.

The Morning car, which was thrown back by the impact of the accident, collided with a taxi and a Mercedes-Benz car behind it.

Three people in the Morning, all in their 80s, were taken to hospital in cardiac arrest and died. Six other passengers, including Mr A, suffered minor and major injuries and are being treated at a nearby hospital.

Immediately before the crash, Mr A was driving backwards at high speed for several hundred metres, crossing the centre line with his hazard lights on.

A was not under the influence of alcohol and is reported to have claimed sudden unintended acceleration.

Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident while requesting the National Institute of Forensic Science to examine the vehicle to determine if it was defective.

One-line summary : In Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, a 72-year-old driver crossed the centre line and drove in reverse, causing a quadruple collision that killed three people and injured six others, and police are investigating whether the vehicle was defective, as the driver is claiming sudden acceleration.