Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Fest fire kills 4 in South Korea
Source: Agencies |
February 10, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FOUR people were killed and dozens injured yesterday after a fire set as part of a traditional festival in South Korea spread out of control.
The accident happened when organizers set fire to reed-like plants at the top of Hwawang mountain in southeastern South Korea as part of the full moon festival, said Park Joong-soo, an officer at Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency.
The blaze, fanned by sudden winds, spread over firebreaks, forcing spectators to flee. Four of them, who were on top of a large rock to get a better view of the festival, fell about 10 meters to their deaths while trying to dodge the fire, Park said.
The officer said most of the 36 injured were suffering from burns.
Park said there were about 15,000 spectators at the scene. He also said the number of injured could rise.
It is a South Korean tradition to set fire to grass along rice fields on the night of the first full moon of the Lunar New Year in the belief that it helps bring good harvests and drives out evil spirits, though it is no longer widely practiced.
The county government in Changn°?yeong, about 260 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has organized the fire festival about once every two years since 1995.
The accident happened when organizers set fire to reed-like plants at the top of Hwawang mountain in southeastern South Korea as part of the full moon festival, said Park Joong-soo, an officer at Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency.
The blaze, fanned by sudden winds, spread over firebreaks, forcing spectators to flee. Four of them, who were on top of a large rock to get a better view of the festival, fell about 10 meters to their deaths while trying to dodge the fire, Park said.
The officer said most of the 36 injured were suffering from burns.
Park said there were about 15,000 spectators at the scene. He also said the number of injured could rise.
It is a South Korean tradition to set fire to grass along rice fields on the night of the first full moon of the Lunar New Year in the belief that it helps bring good harvests and drives out evil spirits, though it is no longer widely practiced.
The county government in Changn°?yeong, about 260 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has organized the fire festival about once every two years since 1995.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
