Fire trucks, military deployed to combat drought in southeast

CHANGWON, South Korea - Fire trucks, military vehicles, and firefighting water tankers were deployed across the nation on Thursday to provide desperately needed water to South Gyeongsang Province, gripped by an intensifying drought. The mobilization, ordered by the national firefighting authorities on Tuesday, saw 200 water tankers and approximately 400 personnel from various regions arrive in the province.

In addition, 14 military vehicles from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and forestry service joined the efforts to supply water to both farms and households in the affected areas. By 6 p.m. on Wednesday, fire authorities had already delivered nearly 4,770 tons of water to the province.

As of Thursday, all 18 municipalities in South Gyeongsang had officially entered drought stages, with Hamyang County, previously unaffected, receiving a drought watch. The average water storage rate of the province's municipalities currently sits at 32.8 percent, significantly below the long-term average of 70.8 percent. This marks the second nationwide firefighting mobilization order issued in response to a drought, the first being last August for the coastal city of Gangneung.