Scorching heat kills 430,000 farm animals in Korea

Farmers are making efforts to keep their chickens cool.

By Park Si-soo

The deadly scorching heat that has continued for days in Korea and killed several people is now taking its toll on hundreds of thousands of animals.

Four people have died of heatstroke and about 550 people have fallen sick due to the hot weather.

The agriculture ministry says 410,000 chickens, 10,000 ducks and 1,000 pigs have perished on farms across the country since the beginning of the hot weather on July 13. The scope of the carnage is expected to increase as the sweltering weather shows no signs of easing.

Farmers are trying to cool cages by spraying water and operating fans and air coolers. But it seems not enough to keep the hot, steamy air at bay.

Meanwhile, South Gyeongsang Province reported the highest number of people being treated for heat-related problems (97), followed by Gyeonggi (65), North Gyeongsang Province (64), South Jeolla Province (50) and Gangwon (40), according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KDCD).

Health officials advised people to take extra care to avoid heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke and exhaustion. They said people should wear sunscreen, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts and hats when outside.