Seoul, Mar 26 (AP) At least 16 people died and another 19 were injured as wildfires ravaged South Korea's southern regions amid dry weather and strong winds, government officials said on Wednesday.

Officials in Andong city and other southeastern cities and towns ordered residents to evacuate on Tuesday as firefighters struggled to contain multiple blazes fuelled by dry winds, which burnt more than 43,000 acres of land and destroyed hundreds of structures, including a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple.

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More than 5,500 people were forced to evacuate from their homes in Andong, the neighbouring counties of Uiseong and Sancheong, and the city of Ulsan, where the fires were the largest, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. (AP)

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