The Maltese scouts evacuated from their campsite in South Korea due to a looming typhoon are well and in good spirits, their leader said yesterday.

Head of contingent Timmy Cutugno said the group of 75 children and teen scouts and their adult leaders were camped in the midst of where a looming typhoon is about to hit this week.

They were evacuated from their campsite on Monday, along with 43,000 other scouts from 150 countries who were taking part in the World Scout Jamboree.

“We were in the eye of it,” he said. “We were told that the typhoon was going to pass right through our campsite.”

Cutugno spoke to Times of Malta on Tuesday as the Maltese contingent of 75 people – which includes 47 children and teens and their adult leaders – left the South Korean region of SaeManGeum and was on its way to the country’s capital, Seoul, which is expected to be out of harm’s way when Typhoon Khanun makes landfall today.

All scouts have been evacuated and transported by the Korean government in around 1,000 buses to different hostels and centres in Seoul.

Cutugno said the evacuation was organised in such a professional manner that the children and teen scouts considered it as part of the adventure.

“It’s all an adventure for them. It’s the first time in South Korea and it’s the first time they experienced an evacuation from a campsite,” Cutugno said. “It’s challenging, but they are all doing well and are in good spirits.”

The typhoon is the second major disruption to the jamboree.

An extreme heatwave a few days ago caused hundreds of scouts to fall ill. As it grappled with the hot weather, the Korean government delivered tons of bottled water, five tons of ice daily and free ice cream to the campsites.

But Cutugno said the Maltese scouts are well adapted to a hot climate.