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Forest fire rages on in NE China, 1 killed

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-30 15:23

HARBIN -- One person has been killed in the forest fire in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province, the emergency office of the provincial government said Thursday.

A firefighter works on the scene of a forest fire that has killed one person, in Xunke County, northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province Thursday April 30, 2009. [Xinhua]

The wildfire has ravaged more than 100 square kilometers of wooded area and summoned 6,350 people in the rescue efforts, including over 1,200 forest police, with the rest being professional firefighters. Five large helicopters have been sent to help fight the fire.

The fire in Yinanhe Forest Farm, under the Zhanhe Forestry Bureau, was reported on Monday afternoon and has since killed one person and injured four others, affected more than 20,000 local residents and ravaged more than 100 square kilometers of woods, according to the emergency office.

The cause of the fire isn't known.

People living as far as 35 km from the fire site were being evacuated, although the exact number being forced to move was not immediately known.

The fire had spread to the Yichun Youhao Forest Farm and Shangganlin Forest Farm in Yichun City, Wang Aiwen, vice mayor of Yichun, said earlier.

Five forestry bureaus in Yichun and Heihe cities are threatened.

Wang said earlier that high temperatures and strong winds were making firefighting more difficult.

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