South Korea mountain fires kill one, injure 17

A woman was killed and 17 people injured today in raging mountain fires that destroyed dozens of houses in South Korea as thousands of firefighters struggled to stop the flames spreading.

A blaze started yesterday evening in a remote part of the southeastern coastal city of Pohang and was almost put out by today morning after killing an old woman and injuring 14 people, firefighters said.

It destroyed 53 houses. Police said they were investigating a 12-year-old boy who allegedly set fire to a pile of dry leaves near his hill-side home with friends.A separate mountain fire raged late yesterday in the nearby port city of Ulsan, injuring three people and scorching23 houses, according to the National Rescue Services.

Fanned by strong winds, the fire in Ulsan was still spreading today despite efforts by more than 4,000firefighters and government workers to control it. The extent of the damage was unclear.

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