A fire that started from a vehicle belonging to KDDI's subsidiary in Mongolia has scorched grasslands along the border, an area approximately 8.7 times the size of Seoul. The flames threatened to spread to the Chinese border, and allegations have emerged that illegal tourism activities took place in a nature reserve where public access is restricted, causing public outrage in Mongolia.
According to reports from Mongolia's state-run Montsame news agency and China's Xinhua News Agency on October 22, the fire broke out on October 8 in the Numrug Strictly Protected Area in Dornod Province, eastern Mongolia. The blaze spread rapidly due to dry weather and strong winds, and it was not extinguished until October 16, eight days later.
According to Mongolia's disaster management authorities, the affected area is approximately 530,000 hectares (5,300 square kilometers), with 80% of the ecologically valuable Numrug Reserve burned. As the fire spread to the border area, firefighting teams from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Mongolia's border guards established emergency firebreaks to contain the blaze.
The fire originated from vehicles belonging to Mobicom, KDDI's subsidiary and the leading telecommunications company in Mongolia. Investigations revealed that the fire ignited when dry grass became entangled in the vehicle's exhaust system while off-road vehicles carrying Japanese executives and local staff were driving through the reserve.
The Numrug area is a top-tier protected zone where public access is legally prohibited except for academic research. Mobicom stated that the visit was for a field inspection of border communication networks; however, local suspicions have arisen that they were engaging in illegal recreational activities such as fishing for the endangered Amur trout and hunting, further fueling public anger.
In response to the escalating situation, Mobicom's CEO, Yasuhiro Ochi, acknowledged the incident in a video message and apologized. KDDI's headquarters in Japan also expressed its responsibility for the environmental damage. Meanwhile, the Mongolian government has classified the fire as a serious environmental crime and has initiated a joint investigation, planning to seek substantial damages for the full cost of ecosystem restoration and firefighting efforts.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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