26 confirmed dead in southwest China forest fire

Twenty-six firefighters have been confirmed as having died while battling a forest fire in southwest China's Sichuan Province, authorities in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture said Monday.

Thirty firefighters went missing Sunday afternoon after a sudden change in wind direction caused an outburst of the blaze, according to local authorities.

Local authorities have dispatched 689 people to put out the blaze which broke out at about 6 p.m. Saturday at a remote spot in the mountains at an altitude of over 3,800 meters.

Firefighters are still trying to contain the blaze and looking for the four missing people.

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

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)