Firefighters struggle to contain mountain fire in southeastern S. Korea

SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- Firefighters on Saturday continued to battle a mountain fire in the southeastern city of Andong that broke out the previous day, as strong winds hampered their containment efforts.

The fire, which was first reported on Friday afternoon, has affected an estimated 100 hectares of mountain land, with no casualties reported yet.

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.

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.

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