(CMR) Thousands of scouts from across the world at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea are being relocated due to an incoming typhoon.
More than 1,000 buses were being deployed to move the scouts out of the southwest, a region that Typhoon Khanun is expected to hit as early as Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The World Scout Jamboree brought together 43,000 scouts from more than 150 countries. Organizers intend to continue the event despite the relocation. The event was scheduled to run through August 12.
According to Reuters, South Korean organizers are keen to minimize any further problems at the jamboree, the first global gathering of scouts since the pandemic. Since the event began last week, hundreds of participants have fallen ill due to a heatwave, triggering criticism from the public and parents about a lack of preparation.
The British scout contingent, the event's biggest, left early, citing poor sanitation and food quality, among other concerns. The U.S. scout group followed.
“This is the first time in more than 100 years of World Scout Jamborees that we have had to face such compounded challenges,” Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, said in a statement.
Typhoon Khanun is expected to make landfall in southern South Korea, where the jamboree’s campsite is located, on Thursday, bringing wind and rain to most parts of the country. The typhoon has already caused widespread power outages and damage in Japan, killing multiple people when it made landfall in the region last week.
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