2 dead, 6 injured in forest fire in NW China

Two people have died and six have been injured in a forest fire in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, local authorities said on Sunday.

The fire broke out at around 12am Saturday on a barren hill in Machang Village in the city of Guyuan, according to the regional emergency management department.

By 4:40pm Saturday, the fire had scorched around 33.3 hectares of land. By Sunday morning, over 2,000 people had been mobilized to extinguish the fire. The deaths and injuries occurred during the process.

An initial investigation revealed the fire was caused by people visiting a grave on the hill. It is a Chinese tradition to pay tribute to late friends and family by burning fake paper money and other possessions.

By 8:10am Sunday, the fire had been put out. Local authorities have evacuated residents living within a 20 km radius of the site and inspected the area to prevent a resurgence of the fire.