26 firefighters dead in China forest blaze

At least 26 firefighters were killed while battling a forest blaze in remote mountains in southwest China, the state media reported on Monday.

At least 26 firefighters were killed while battling a forest blaze in remote mountains in southwest China, the state media reported on Monday.

The firefighters were sent to put the fire which broke out on Saturday in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, China Daily quoted the PLA Daily, the official organ of the Chinese military as saying.

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

A team sent by the Ministry of Emergency Management has arrived in Muli County in Liangshan to coordinate the rescue efforts.

Newsletter

These images show the Sun’s surface in greater detail than ever before

On Wednesday, astronomers released what they said were the most detailed images ever taken of the surface of our sun. As...

Magnitude 7.7 quake hits between Cuba and Jamaica, but no injuries

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a v...

US House passes bill on sanctions against Chinese officials for meddling in Dalai Lama’s succession

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that authorises financial and travel sanctions against Chinese officia...

Squid Brains Are Nearly as Complex as Dog Brains, Researchers Claim

We all know that cephalopods are wicked smart, and their complex nerve systems go some way to explain their aptitudes. N...

Four Japanese evacuees from Wuhan taken to hospital with fevers

Japanese officials say four evacuees on a flight from the Chinese city of Wuhan have a cough and fever. Tokyo Metropolit...

US military recovers remains from Afghanistan plane crash

The United States on Tuesday recovered the remains of two personnel from a US military aircraft that crashed in Afghanis...