British scout faced ‘disgusting’ conditions at jamboree campsite, says father
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The father of a British scout who was evacuated from an international jamboree in South Korea has said his daughter complained about “disgusting” conditions at the World Scout Jamboree campsite.
Temperatures have risen to 35C at the campsite near the south-western town of Buan, where more than 40,000 scouts from around the world have gathered for the 12-day event.
Last week South Korea raised its hot weather warning to the highest “serious” level for the first time in four years.
The father, who asked to remain anonymous, said his 17-year-old daughter was among 4,500 British scouts aged 14 to 17, some of whom have needed treatment for heat-related illnesses.
The toilets deteriorated over the time she was there to the point they were unusable and pretty disgusting
The scouts were moved to hotels in Seoul to help “alleviate the pressure” on the campsite.
The 48-year-old father told the PA news agency: “The toilets deteriorated over the time she was there to the point they were unusable and pretty disgusting.
“There were just not enough people on the ground and by the sounds of it it hasn’t been well organised by the Koreans.
“I don’t think they were being particularly well catered for.”
The father, from Lancashire, added that the campsite seemed to have been set up on “reclaimed” land.
The scout was evacuated from the campsite on August 6 and is now “quite happy” with her current living arrangements in a hotel, the father added.
He said: “She’s had a shower and decent food. She seems fairly happy and in reasonable spirits now.”
Young people attending the scout event will travel home as originally planned from August 13, the UK Scout Association said on Saturday.
Scouts from 158 countries are attending the jamboree which is hosted by a different nation every four years.
At least 108 people have been treated for heat-related illnesses, most of whom have recovered, it was reported on Thursday.
Activities requiring hard physical effort have been cancelled and organisers have brought more emergency vehicles, medical staff and air conditioning to the site.
