South Korea police say family grave rite led to deadly wildfire

A man in his 50s suspected of starting what grew into country's largest wildfire

20250330 South Korea wildfire

A woman looks around her burnt house, in which she lived in for 52 years, after a wildfire devastated the area in Uiseong, South Korea March 27. © Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) -- South Korean police said on Sunday they booked a man suspected of starting what grew into the country's largest wildfire, killing at least 26 people and razing thousands of buildings including historic temples.

Authorities believe the man, who is in his 50s, began the fire in southeastern Uiseong County when he performed an ancestral rite by a family grave on March 22, an official from Gyeongbuk Provincial Police said.

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