South Korea wildfires become biggest on record as disaster chief points to ‘harsh reality’ of climate crisis

Officials point to ultra-dry conditions as death toll reaches 27 and fires threaten Unesco heritage sites

Authorities in South Korea are battling wildfires that have doubled in size in a day in the country's worst ever natural fire disaster.

At least 27 people have died and hundreds of buildings destroyed in the south-eastern province of North Gyeongsang, with the country's disaster chief saying the fires had exposed the harsh reality" of global heating.