More than 600 youngsters at the 25th World Scout Jamboree have been struck down by a heatwave in South Korea – as British parents complain their children have been abandoned in a mosquito-infested field.
The event coincides with the highest heat warning by authorities in four years, as temperatures in some parts of the country topped 38C this week forcing the government to issue its highest-possible heat warning as temperatures soar.
About 43,000 people from 158 countries – including 4,500 Brits – are currently taking part in the World Scout Jamboree – known as the world’s largest youth camp – which is taking place in Korea’s North Jeolla province.
Among those in attendance is adventurer and TV presenter Bear Grylls who called for people to remain calm. He posted a clip of his rousing speech on resilience on Instagram with the caption: ‘It’s super hot in Korea. To all @Scouts there, remember the mantra: Shade & hydrate act early if struggling buddy buddy always.’
But after an emergency alert was sent out on the jamboree’s app, parents have been sent into panic mode. One British parent told The Telegraph: ‘We now have kids crying, thinking they are going to die.’
Parents also complained that their children were stuck outside in the early hours of the morning in a ‘mosquito-infested field’ with no tents, dirty toilets and limited food.
More than 600 participants at the 25th World Scout Jamboree have been struck down by a heatwave in South Korea
British parents have complained their children have been abandoned in a mosquito-infested field
The event coincides with the highest heat warning by authorities in four years, as temperatures in some parts of Korea topped 38C this week. Pictured: Participants take shelter from sun at the camping site
Adventurer and TV presenter Bear Grylls, who is at the World Scout Jamboree, called for people to remain calm
It comes after this year’s event has faced criticism over a lack of shelter or water amid the major heatwave. Local media outlets have described the situation as a ‘national disgrace’, given the time the country had to prepare for the event.
Local authorities and organisers said around 600 participants had suffered heat-related illnesses, prompting Seoul officials to order the deployment of military doctors and nurses Thursday.
One majorly concerned mother told The Telegraph the event has been shambolic. ‘Flooding, ambulances everywhere, rubbish, poor sanitation, not enough food, the list is endless,’ she said.
‘They are trying their hardest to make it work but it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
She added that the heat has been described by her son as ‘stifling’ and that people can’t cope with the lack of shade, while they have been told to leave air-conditioned areas regularly.
Another anxious parent said that people are feeling ‘bullied into keeping quiet’ and don’t know what to do.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered an ‘unlimited’ number of air-conditioned buses that scouts can use for brief refuge and refrigerator trucks to provide cold water, presidential spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said Friday.
Attendees of the World Scout Jamboree cool off with water at a scout camping site in Buan, South Korea
A participant is carried by stretcher at Jamboree Hospital during the 25th World Scout Jamboree
A participant drinks water at a water supply zone of the camping site amid soaring temperatures
Participants receive medical treatment at Jamboree Hospital as many struggle with the heatwave
Attendees of the World Scout Jamboree hold umbrellas to avoid sunshine at one of the camping sites
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (delivering welcome speech) ordered an ‘unlimited’ number of air-conditioned buses that scouts can use for brief refuge and refrigerator trucks to provide cold water
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol (front C) and his wife Kim Keon Hee (centre R) throwing paper airplanes during the glitzy opening ceremony
An attendee of the World Scout Jamboree walks by garbage and items for recycling at a scout camping site
Yoon’s office added that the emergency meeting would make a decision ‘regarding the allocation of approximately 6 billion won (£3.6million) in contingency funds’.
The United States Forces Korea told AFP that about 600 American jamboree participants had been offered the chance to stay at Camp Humphreys, a US army garrison in Pyeongtaek, to avoid the heat.
Local broadcasters reported some scouts were ‘stuck’ at the remote campsite despite the heat, citing anonymous staff members.
‘It’s hard to even arrange bus rides on your own,’ one staffer said.
Some people online compared the situation to the deadly survival game featured in South Korea’s mega-hit Netflix series ‘Squid Game’.
‘Greetings to Scouts from all around the globe, as you arrive at the K-Survival Game,’ one quipped on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, above an image of pink Squid Game-style costumes.
World Scouting acknowledged on Friday that an ‘extreme heatwave and humidity’ has caused ‘some challenging conditions’ for young people at the event.
‘We share your concerns and are working closely with the Host and Government of Korea to ensure a safe, healthy and fun jamboree environment for all,’ it wrote on X.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: ‘We are monitoring the situation closely.
‘Consular officials have been deployed on site to support attendees, and we are in regular contact with Scouts UK and the Korean authorities to ensure the safety of British nationals.’
