Society

9 killed, 7 injured in SW China forest fire

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-04 06:32

KUNMING - At least nine people died and seven were injured while fighting a forest fire caused by a local villager's careless burning of corn roots in Southwest China's Yunnan province Thursday, fire-fighting authorities reported.

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Winds re-ignited a wild fire that had been earlier put out, trapping fire-fighters on a forest-covered mountain slope in Jinhua township, Jianchuan county, Dali Bai autonomous prefecture Thursday afternoon, said a spokesman with the Yunnan Provincial Forest Fire Prevention Authority.

Among the dead, four were county and township officials, three professional fire-fighters, and two volunteers. One of the injured remains in critical conditions. All casualties have been identified, officials said.

The blaze first started Wednesday afternoon when local villager Li Ping burned corn roots on the family's farmland. Dried weeds and tree branches caught fire and it quickly spread across the mountain slope, initial investigation results show.

The fire was initially put out Thursday morning. However, it again began to spread hours later.

Police have detained Li for investigation.

By Thursday night, more than 200 fire fighters have been sent.

A leading prefecture official is also rushing to the fire site with a team of forestry, civil affairs, and fire fighting officials. Authorities demanded a safe and speedy operation to put out the blaze.