Hundreds of teenage boy and girl scouts have fallen ill at a global event in South Korea as a sweltering heat wave sweeps the country, angering some parents who have called for the 12-day event to be canceled.
Nearly 40,000 participants – mostly middle and high schoolers – have traveled from 155 different countries to attend the event, a week-long festival featuring cultural performances and outdoor activities, according to Kim Hyun-sook, the chairman of the jamboree’s Organizing Committee and the Minister of Gender Equality and Family.
Of the people who visited the hospital, 250 reported skin rashes, 138 had heat-related illness, and 386 had bug bites, Kim added – but none were in a critical condition, said an official from the Jeonbuk Fire Service. UK scouts also acknowledged that while the decision may serve as “disappointment for some,” it will endeavour to “continue the Jamboree experience” in the capital of Seoul, working with Korean authorities “on a programme of activities.”
One writing in Spanish said their daughter was attending the event and had reported there was “no food, no way to protect them from the sun.”Photos from the site show participants gathering at a water supply zone to cool themselves off, and resting in shaded areas. The jamboree is also ramping up its medical staff, pest control personnel, the number of portable toilets and food supplies. The number of cleaning staff – previously just 70 for the entire 40,000-person site – has been increased to more than 500, organizers said.
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