Heat wave strikes 400 scouts at Saemangeum Jamboree

Tuesday alone 400 or so people were reported to have suffered from heat-related illness. That was half of the 800 patients that were reported at the Scout Jamboree camping site, according to the organizing committee.

Participants at the World Scout Jamboree held at Saemangeum, North Jeolla, drinking and eating ice cream under the sorching heat at the Delta zone of the camping site on Wednesday. Temperature rose up to 35 degree Celsius (94 Farenheit). [YONHAP]

Despite the festive mood at the 25 World Scout Jamboree on Tuesday alone 400 or so people were reported to have suffered from heat-related illness.

That was half of the 800 patients that were reported at the Scout Jamboree camping site, according to the organizing committee.

A 17 year-old from Malaysia Riski Ananda Sia told reporters that it was too hot he had to take two pills.

He added that it was much hotter than Malaysia.

While most were considered to be mild such as nausea and dehydration, some of the scout participants suffered severe headaches, muscle spasm and in the worst case, fainting.

According to the fire department, between July 29 and Aug. 2 it has sent nearly 60 people to nearby hospitals from the camping ground, who suffered from heat-related illness.

The organizing committee, however, stressed the injuries weren’t critical.

“All were mild symptoms and there were no patients with serious illness,” said Choi Chang-haeng, the organizing committee’s secretary general on Wednesday.

“A Jamboree fire department is opened and operating,” said Choi added. “We are addressing patients with mild symptom by sending them to the Jamboree hospital on the 119 emergency vehicles.”

“We also had a meeting with the World Organization of the Scout Movement regarding the heat problem,” Choi added. “We have discussed on various measures including supply of water and salt and program adjustments to prevent heat-related illness.”

Some of the steps that had been taken include increasing the cooling system at first aid centers while shortening the waiting time of shuttle buses from previous 30 minutes to 10 minutes.

Also the number of sick beds will be tripled from current 70 to 150.

The organizing committee said Tuesday that it installed shelters around the area to provide protection from the heat, including 1,720 shaded resting areas and 7.4 kilometers (4.6 miles) of pedestrian paths equipped with sprinklers to lower the temperature.

The event even before it kicked off was raising some concerns including the main camp site being a wide open area without any trees.

Additionally, some of the camping grounds remain muddy due to the heavy downpour a week earlier.

Some of the grounds that remiained muddy due to the heavy rain a week earlier. [YONHAP]

The Malaysian scout also said while he arrived in Korea at 1 a.m. he had to wait at the airport until 6 a.m. because he was told that the grounds were still wet, making it difficult to set up a tent.

Several environment civic groups had warned against holding an event on top of a former mudflat that had been reclaimed.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]