30 killed while fighting forest fire in China

Published On: April 1, 2019 06:12 PM NPT By: The New York Times


30 killed while fighting forest fire in China

SICHUAN, April 1: Thirty people were killed while trying to stop a forest fire in southwestern China, officials said on Monday.

Around 700 people were battling the blaze, which the state news media said started on Saturday in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, a mountainous area of Sichuan Province. On Sunday afternoon, 30 were reported missing after winds suddenly changed direction.

On Monday night, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement that the bodies of all 30 had been found. Twenty-seven were from the Sichuan Forest Fire Brigade, while three others were local residents, the ministry said.

Forest fires are especially common in China in the spring. In recent weeks, the government has issued alerts for Sichuan and other regions facing high temperatures and drought.

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