The death toll in the wildfires raging across South Korea's southeastern region rose to 24 and the pilot of a firefighting helicopter was killed when the aircraft crashed on Wednesday, as the country battles some of its worst forest fires in decades.

Wildfires in South Korea have resulted in deaths, turned an ancient Buddhist temple into ashes and forced the evacuation of residents of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

At least 27 people have died in what have grown into the largest wildfires in South Korea's history. Most of those who have lost their lives were in their 60s and 70s - in other words, those who struggled to escape the fast-moving infernos.