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Forest fire still raging in SW China after 9 died
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-04 16:35
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KUNMING - High winds have frustrated efforts to extinguish a mountain fire raging in Southwest China's Yunnan province, said a fire control official Friday afternoon.
Wan Yong, deputy commander of Yunnan Provincial Forest Fire Prevention Authority, previously said fire-fighters had contained the fire, and hoped to extinguish it by noon.
"But winds have picked up this afternoon, making it difficult to extinguish the fire," he said.
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About 1,000 fire-fighters aided by two helicopters with monsoon buckets are still fighting the fire, which has been contained in a mountain area 4 to 5 kilometers away from the nearest village in Jianchuan county, Dali Bai autonomous prefecture.
Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged fire departments to dispatch professional fire-fighters, after nine fire-fighters died, mostly volunteers, and seven others were injured in the fire Thursday.
Local authorities said winds reignited a fire that was smoldering Thursday, trapping the fire-fighters and resulting in the deaths and injuries.
Among the dead, three were professional fire-fighters, while six were volunteers including four county and township officials and two villagers.
Hospital sources said the injured were in stable condition as of Friday morning.
According to the Yunnan Provincial Forest Fire Prevention Authority, currently, the people fighting the fire are professional fire-fighters and armed police.
About 300 local residents have volunteered to carry water and food for the fire-fighters, but are not near the fire.
Local authorities said earlier the fire was caused by a local villager burning a field of corn roots Wednesday.
China's State Forest Fire Prevention Headquarters on Friday gave the highest forest fire warning - red alert - to the southwestern regions including Sichuan, Yunnan provinces and Tibet autonomous region.
The headquarters said there is a high risk of forest fires in the next three days in the regions, as dry weather and high winds continue.
The headquarters has been monitoring five forest fires in China's southwest, including the one in Yunnan's Jianchuan, since Wednesday.
None of the other fires have caused fatalities.
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