6 firefighters die after battling blaze in north China

TAIYUAN, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Six firefighters have died and one injured after battling a blaze in Qinyuan County in north China's Shanxi Province, local authorities said Friday.

At about 5 p.m. Thursday, seven firefighters were trapped while battling a forest fire in Qinyuan, due to a sudden change in wind direction. They were rescued and rushed to hospital, but six of them died of injuries early Friday morning.

The fire was put out at about 6:40 p.m. Thursday. The cause of the fire is under investigation.