More than 100 hit with heat exhaustion at World Scout Jamboree
Extreme weather has been causing disruption at the World Scout Jamboree but young people have been making the best of it, as Lauren Hall reports
At least 108 people were treated for heat-related illnesses at the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea, which is having one of its hottest summers in years.
Most of them have recovered but at least two remain in treatment at the site's medical centre as of Thursday morning, said Choi Chang-haeng, secretary-general of the Jamboree’s organising committee.
The event is continuing and organisers are adding dozens more medical staff. Certain sports and activities are also being paused when temperatures get too high.
13 of those treated for heat-related illnesses are from the UK contingent, which is made up of 4,500 young people.
Simon Carter from Scouts UK told ITV News: “All our scouts are now on site and they enjoyed a fantastic opening ceremony.
"It’s hot and humid but by supporting our young people by making sure they drink lots of water, have access to shade and arranging for them to participate in activities outside of the heat of the day, we can ensure that our Scouts have an exciting, fun and educational experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.”
The event brings together 45,000 teenagers from all over the world. It is held every four years and this one is at a campsite built on land reclaimed from the sea in Saemangeum in the Jeollabuk-do province of South Korea.
Lee Sang-min, South Korea’s Minister of the Interior and Safety, during an emergency meeting instructed officials to explore “all possible measures” to protect the participants, including adjusting the event’s outdoor activities, adding more emergency vehicles and medical posts, and also adding more shade structures and air-conditioning.
He said the goal is to prevent “even one serious illness or death”, according to comments shared by the ministry.
There had been concerns about a lack of shade on the campsite, although there are a large number of purpose-built shade tunnels.
Choi insisted that the event was safe enough to continue and similar situations could have occurred if the Jamboree was held elsewhere.
“The participants came from afar and hadn’t yet adjusted [to the weather],” Choi said in a news briefing.
He said the large number of patients could be linked to a K-pop performance during the opening ceremony, which he said left many of the teens “exhausted after actively releasing their energy”.
South Korea this week raised its hot weather warning to the highest “serious” level for the first time in four years as temperatures nationwide hovered between 33 to 38 degrees Celsius (91 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
Extreme weather also caused issues at the start of the Jamboree this week. Heavy rainfall led to flooding on the campsite and left parts of it uninhabitable, without power and running water.
It delayed the arrival of Scouts from the UK on the campsite by 24 hours. Organisers worked with volunteers from various countries to improve conditions on the site and to get it ready in time for the opening ceremony, which was held on Wednesday evening.
However, since arriving at the campsite, scouts told ITV News how much they have been enjoying themselves and they have been busy making friends from all over the world.
Olivia, from the Warwickshire unit, said: “I’m very excited - it’s such a spectacular environment.”
Joseph, also from the Warwickshire unit, added: “It’s a bit surreal. 18 months of anticipation and suddenly you’re standing there - it’s very bizarre but it’s awesome, it’s great.”
Chief Scout Bear Grylls told ITV News how important the event is and why it matters: “It’s young people who are going to change the world. It’s young people who are going to drive that change, to remind us that what brings us together is so much greater than what divides us.
"I think the world has never been more divided and more in need of that scouting spirit, that scouting energy and that scouting goodness.”
The event runs until 12th August and then Scouts will head to the capital city Seoul before flying back to the UK.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.