At least 26 firefighters dead in Chinese forest fire

At least 26 firefighters have been confirmed dead in a forest fire in southwestern China.

Thirty people had been reported missing on Sunday afternoon after being trapped by a sudden change in wind direction in Liangshan prefecture in Sichuan province.

The emergency ministry said on its social media account on Monday that 26 people had been found dead and rescuers continued to search for other missing people.

State news agency Xinhua reported that those confirmed dead were all members of the fire crews.

About 690 people had been dispatched to put out the fire in Muli county, which started on Saturday evening, the local authority said.

The blaze broke out at a remote spot in the rugged mountains at an altitude of about 3,800 meters, where transport and communication are difficult.

Two military helicopters have been sent to the area and a search is continuing.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang delivered instructions to respond to the emergency, the statement said.

A separate forest fire that lasted two days in the northern province of Shanxi was brought under control on Sunday, the official Xinhua news agency said.

More than 9,000 people were evacuated from their homes due to that blaze, which did not cause any casualties.