A wildfire in southwest China’s Sichuan province killed 19 people on Monday, including 18 firefighters according to state news agency Xinhua. It started on a farm and pushed by strong winds spread into mountains burning 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) by Monday night. It now directly threatens major facilities in downtown Xichang, including a petroleum storage facility and four schools.
About 690,000 people live in the city, which is about 210 miles southwest of provincial capital Chengdu.
In the tweet below, firefighters appear to be in a precarious location:
Here is the computer-generated translation:
A large fire has been ravaging since yesterday the region of #Xichang, in the south center of the . #China 18 firefighters have already lost their lives trying to control the fire #XichangFire https://t.co/n6dgrB05Pr
— Wildfire Today ? (@wildfiretoday) March 31, 2020
Our sincere condolences go out to the families, friends, and coworkers of the deceased.
If those numbers are even correct. I have serious doubts.