30 missing firefighters were found dead in China after hundreds were sent to battle the forest blaze in remote mountains in southwest China's Sichuan Province, said authorities.
Channel News Asia reported that the ministry of emergency management confirmed around 700 firefighters were deployed to fight the blaze that broke out on Saturday, 30th March on steep terrain in Muli County.
The ministry confirmed on Chinese news media Weibo that the rescuers found previously missing 30 firefighters on Sunday.
The firefighters are believed to be stuck in a huge fireball ignited by a sudden change in wind direction and were started searching for after they lost contact with the authorities since Sunday afternoon.
Footage by the Chinese national media show plumes of smoke coming from the forested, mountainous region. The statement from the concerned ministry said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang gave instructions to respond to the emergency.
Authorities said a separate forest fire in the northern province of Shanxi was brought under control on Sunday after two days. Thousands of people were evacuated from their residence after the fire broke out which didn't cause any casualties.
Moreover, nearly 3000 firefighters battled another forest fire in the outskirts of Beijing on Sunday. The fire that started on Saturday and had spread over 42.7 hectares reportedly didn't cause any casualties.
