Forest fire kills 30 in South China; dead include 27 firefighters

At least 30 people, including 27 firefighters, were killed while battling a huge forest fire in the remote mountains in southwest China's Sichuan province, the state media reported on Monday. The firefighters were sent to put the fire which broke out on Saturday in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, China Daily reported.

About 30 people have been unaccounted for since Sunday afternoon after a sudden change in wind direction caused "a huge fireball", according to authorities in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Local authorities have dispatched 689 people to douse the blaze which broke out at about 6 pm at an altitude of about 3,800 meters.

Firefighters are still trying to contain the blaze, the report quoted the PLA Daily, the official organ of the Chinese military as saying. A team sent by the Ministry of Emergency Management has arrived in Muli County in Liangshan to coordinate the rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, a separate forest fire in the northern province of Shanxi was brought under control on Sunday after burning for two days, the official Xinhua news agency said. No casualties were reported from that fire, but at least 9,000 people were evacuated from their homes.

(With inputs from agencies.)