Uiseong: A firefighting helicopter with one pilot crashed while battling a large wildfire in the southeastern county of Uiseong, killing the pilot, authorities said. The helicopter went down on a mountain in Uiseong, located about 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 12:54 p.m., according to the Korea Forest Service. The 73-year-old pilot was declared dead at the scene.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the S-76 helicopter, built in 1995, is capable of carrying 1,200 liters of water and had been in service for about 30 years. The Korea Forest Service stated that it has grounded all firefighting helicopters following the crash.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The grounding of helicopters is a precautionary measure while the investigation is ongoing.