Forest fire put out at China-India border in Tibet

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-25 10:51

LHASA -- A fire that raged for five days in a mountain forest on the China-India border of Tibet was extinguished by 5 pm Monday, a local Chinese official said Tuesday.

No casualties were reported in the fire.

About 1,000 people, including police, soldiers, government officials and local residents participated in the fire-fighting operation to put out the fire in Zayu County, said Peng Cong'en, secretary of Zayu county committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In the past five days, fire-fighting forces dug fire isolation belts extending 16 kilometers. The fire was eventually extinguished with the help of a rainfall in Zayu, said the official.

The fire started at about 8:50 a.m. last Thursday on the Indian side of the mountain when people burned wild grass and bushes, according to Peng.