Tens of thousands of youngsters will be evacuated from the campsite of the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea to get them out of the path of a looming typhoon, organisers said on Monday, days after hundreds fell ill amid soaring temperatures.

The storm on top of the country’s worst heatwave in years has piled pressure on organisers who have faced mounting complaints from parents and the withdrawal of the US and British contingents.

The head of UK Scouts told Reuters on Monday that concerns about cleanliness and food, not just the heat, had prompted their decision to leave the first global gathering of scouts since the pandemic.

Around 36,000 participants will be taken by bus on Tuesday to areas away from the path of Typhoon Khanun, which has already wreaked havoc in southern Japan
and is expected to hit South Korea on Thursday, organisers said.

Officials are seeking alternate venues and accommodation in and around Seoul, Kim Sung-ho, Vice-Minister for Disaster and Safety Management, said in a statement.

Reuters