Firefighters struggle to contain S.Korea mountain blaze

Seoul, April 26 (IANS) Firefighters continued to battle a mountain fire in South Korea's city of Andong, as strong winds hampered their containment efforts, the media reported.The fire, which was first reported on Friday afternoon, has affected an estimated 100 hectares of mountain land, with no casualties reported yet, reports Yonhap News Agency.Authorities have ordered nearby residents to evacuate and restricted traffic around the city.Minister of the Interior and Safety Chin Young ordered officials to use all available resources to contain the fire as soon as possible and minimize its impact."Above all, put utmost efforts to safely evacuate residents living near where the mountain fire broke out," he said on Saturday.Around 1,000 firefighters, along with 20 helicopters and 40 fire trucks, have been mobilized to put out the fire.The exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined, they said.
--IANS ksk/