"At around 9:04 p.m. on September 15, a fire broke out on the rooftop of a four-story commercial building in western Seoul," AFP quoted the Gangseo Fire Department in Seoul (South Korea) as saying on September 16.
A balloon containing trash is seen in a rice field in Cheorwon, South Korea, on May 29, 2024.
The fire department said 15 fire engines and 56 firefighters were mobilized. The fire was extinguished within 18 minutes and there were no casualties in the incident. Military and police agencies have collected the balloon and are currently investigating.
The South Korean military said on September 16 that Pyongyang had launched about 120 balloons filled with trash toward Seoul on September 15. Earlier, on September 14, South Korea also accused North Korea of launching 50 balloons filled with trash into its territory.
About 40 balloons fell mainly in northern Gyeonggi Province and the capital Seoul, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. The bags attached to the balloons usually contained paper and plastic waste, adding that they posed no safety risk to residents.
JCS spokesman Lee Chang-hyun said some of North Korea's garbage balloons have thermal timers that could cause fires if they are not properly disposed of. According to AFP, timers on garbage balloons have previously caused fires in several locations in South Korea, including near airports and a storage facility.
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"Shooting down balloons in the air increases the risk of debris or hazardous materials falling to the ground. So, for now, the safest approach is to quickly collect them after they fall naturally," Lee added.
According to Yonhap, since May, North Korea has sent more than 5,000 balloons filled with trash toward South Korea. In July, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, confirmed that the balloons were launched in retaliation for South Korean activists sending leaflets across the border.
Seoul has suspended a military agreement aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries and started broadcasting propaganda through loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/han-quoc-to-trieu-tien-tha-bong-bay-rac-gay-hoa-hoan-185240916150537393.htm
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