Fire at U.S. military warehouse intensifies Korean Peninsula tension
On Thursday, a fire broke out at a U.S. military warehouse in the port city of Busan. According to information provided by the authorities, no casualties were reported, as per the South Korean Yonhap agency.
According to local officials, the fire was reported at 5:31 AM Eastern Time. The flames appeared at the United States Force Korea warehouse in Busan, about 320 kilometres southeast of Seoul, the agency reports.
Over 160 firefighters and 51 pieces of firefighting equipment were mobilized to combat the blaze.
Preliminary reports suggest that the fire most likely broke out due to hydraulic work being carried out at the facility.
After an hour and a half of firefighting - just before 6:55 AM Eastern Time - the fire authorities in Busan raised the threat level. Consequently, equipment and personnel from nearby towns were also mobilized for the operation. Firefighters from 8 of the 11 nearby fire departments were brought to the site, reports the Yonhap agency.
Tension on the Korean Peninsula
The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains extremely tense. This is linked to the presence of Northern soldiers in Russia. Kim Jong Un's troops are said to be supporting the Russian army in battles on the front lines in Ukraine.
If special units of North Korea's military are on the front lines in Ukraine, Seoul will have to respond depending on Pyongyang's movements, said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday. He assured that his country will continue to support Ukraine.
