SW China forest fire under control

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00:49

The forest fire in southwest China's Sichuan Province is now under control, according to local authorities.

Around 250 rescuers and five helicopters were dispatched to the site to help battle the devastating fire on Tuesday.

Thirty people, including 27 firefighters and three locals, were confirmed dead while fighting the fire that broke out at about 5 p.m. on Saturday in an alpine forest in Muli County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) on Monday afternoon.

The local government released the names of the 30 victims, most of whom were born in 1990s, while the youngest one was born in July 2000.

01:34

The cause of the fire is still unknown, though preliminary analysis suggests it was possibly caused by thunder.

PLA Daily reported that the fire was concentrated at an altitude of about 3,800 meters in a complex terrain with steep valleys and inconvenient transportation and communication.

On Sunday afternoon, 689 firefighters were sent to combat the fire. But a sudden change of wind direction instantly formed a huge fireball, according to a statement issued by the MEM on Monday.

Facing this, firefighters at the scene tried to escape the danger, but 30 of them lost contact and many were later found dead.

Two army helicopters, carrying 15 medical experts along with relief goods, arrived at Xichang Airport at 3 p.m. on Monday, according to the 77th Group Army.

Medical workers board an army helicopter to go to the fire site in an alpine forest in Muli County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, April 1, 2019. /VCG Photo

As of 5 p.m. on Monday, the fire had burned around 15 hectares of forest, according to the local authority. Besides the complex terrain and different wind directions caused by high altitude, the difficulty in accessing water also hindered the firefighting operation.

At present, authorities from the Sichuan Provincial government and the MEM are guiding and carrying out the firefighting operations, identifying the victims' bodies and providing condolences and support for the victims' families.

So far, there have been no further reports of casualties.

There have been frequent forest fires in recent days. For example, at noon on March 30, a forest fire occurred in Beijing's Miyun District and stretched to neighboring Pinggu District. The fire, covering an area of 640 mu (43 hectares), was put out on the morning of March 31.

At 6 p.m. on Monday, the MEM, National Forestry and Grassland Administration and China Meteorological Administration issued the first red alert on the forest fire.

The MEM also offered advice for people facing a forest fire. For example, when trapped in a forest fire, people are advised to judge the direction of the wind and run against it, not run blindly toward the highest point nearby.

1930km